Germany argues US court has no power to decide Herero, Nama genocide suit
New York — A lawyer for Germany on Tuesday urged a US judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought against the country on behalf of the Herero and Nama people, of what is now Namibia, over genocide and seizure of property carried out by German colonists more than 100 years ago. The lawyer, Jeffrey Harris, argued to US District Judge Laura Taylor Swain in Manhattan that the American court did not have jurisdiction over the dispute, citing Germany’s status as a sovereign nation and a legal doctrine that courts should refrain from deciding purely political questions. "You should abstain from this case under the political question doctrine and let the bilateral negotiations proceed between these two sovereigns," he said, referring to Germany and Namibia. Kenneth McCallion, who represents the Herero and Nama leaders and organisations that brought the lawsuit, said Germany’s sovereignty did not shield it from the lawsuit because the genocide was a violation of international law. The genocide, which...
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