German Court: Pakistani victims awarded legal costs in case against KiK
Justice for the 260 dead and 32 injured: that’s the demand from those injured and bereaved by a devastating fire at the Ali Enterprises clothing factory in Karachi, Pakistan. In March 2015, four victims brought a legal action against the German clothing discounter KiK at the Regional Court in Dortmund. KiK was the main client of the factory, which was destroyed in a fire in September 2012. Today the court has issued an initial decision: the court has accepted jurisdiction and granted legal aid to the claimants to cover their costs. This decision is a first step towards dealing with human rights violations by German companies abroad before German courts...By bringing this case the claimants want to make clear that transnational corporations are liable for the working conditions in their subsidiary and supplier firms...The claimants (one survivor of the fire and three people who lost family members) are members of the Baldia Factory Fire Affectees Association, a group set up by almost 200 families. They are calling for compensation from KiK to the value of €30,000 per claimant.