A/HRC/13/31 227. Regarding the measures adopted to ensure that persons expelled to other States were not in danger of enforced disappearance, the Government of Germany stated that, in addition to the aforementioned consular protection, it campaigned on behalf of the persons under arrest within bilateral dialogues with the relevant States. Moreover, the Government indicated on several occasions, and at the highest political level, that international obligations and human rights standards were to be observed. 228. Regarding the measures undertaken to ensure that airports on its territory were not used to transport victims of rendition, the Government of Germany reiterated on several occasions that renditions are considered illegal and hence punishable and it officially protested against practices of rendition and detention contradictory to public international law and human rights on several occasions in 2002. The latest edition of the Federal Foreign Office’s circular note to all foreign embassies in Germany concerning the regulations on incoming State flights explicitly states that the transport of prisoners outside the normal mutual legal assistance procedures is not permitted. 229. The Government reported that the investigation by the public prosecutor’s office initially had priority. The public prosecutor’s office has much greater investigative competence than the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a national intelligence service. This is the desired consequence of the limited investigative powers of the intelligence services. The Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry also commissioned an independent investigator to conduct preliminary preparative inquiries, which produced an initial foundation for the work of the Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry. 230. Regarding which remedy is available for victims of enforced disappearance and their families, the Government stated that it strove to achieve the prompt release of people who were deprived of their liberty. During this common and effective practice of consular protection, family members as well as the legal counsel of the persons under arrest are closely involved and informed. 231. Regarding possible reparation for the victims of enforced disappearances the Government replied that the criteria necessary to justify a claim for the State to assume liability have not been fulfilled and therefore no such reparation will be provided. Observations 232. The Working Group congratulates the Government for ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. It calls the Government to accept the competence of the Committee under articles 31 and 32. Greece Number of outstanding cases at the beginning of the period under review 1 GE.09-17704 Cases transmitted to the Government during the period under review: 0 Cases clarified during the period under review by: 0 Cases sent under the urgent action procedure Cases sent under the standard procedure 0 0 Government Nongovernmental sources Number of outstanding cases at the end of the year under review 0 0 1 53