April 1, 2006

For Immediate Release:

Jonathan Levy and Tom Easton Attorneys

resistk@yahoo.com

202-318-2406

http://www.vaticanbankclaims.com

Vatican Bank Refuses to Release Roma Gold

San Francisco: Alperin v. Vatican Bank a lawsuit seeking recovery of assets looted from Yugoslavia, including property and gold looted from Roma by Croatian fascists, during the Second World War and converted post war by the Vatican Bank and Franciscan Order.

The trial court has approved a Fourth Amended Lawsuit that substantially enhances the existing claims and includes a demand for accounting by the Vatican Bank and Franciscans and recovery of Roma property stolen by the Croatian fascists known as the Ustasha.

Despite a recent initiative by the Vatican calling for “tolerance” of the Roma people, the Vatican itself continues to seek dismissal of the lawsuit on grounds it is immune from lawsuits. It is well documented that the fanatical Ustasha murdered at least 30,000 Roma in Croatia and Bosnia during the Second World War and stole their property including gold, horses, and jewelry. This property was added to the Ustasha Treasury which was hidden at the Vatican Bank after the war and used in part to smuggle Nazis and Ustasha to South America. The Vatican Bank and Franciscans assisted the Ustasha by laundering their gold and funds.

According to attorney Jonathan Levy who helped file the lawsuit in 1999: “Roma must speak out now about Vatican hypocrisy and demand that the Vatican return the proceeds of the O Porrajmos to its rightful owners.” The Vatican has been fighting the lawsuit for seven years despite mounting evidence of complicity with the Ustasha.

Roma in Serbia with potential claims and information about property taken by the Ustasha may contact the Association of Rroma in Beograd at Trscanska No. 7.