Report: US museums increasingly evading restitution of Nazi-looted art through legal tactics

A new report says U.S. museums are increasingly evading the restitution of Nazi-looted art by using legal tactics to avoid resolving the cases on their merits.

The World Jewish Restitution Organization says in a report released Thursday that it's a tactic that has grown in recent years.

The report says it's also a deterrent to claimants coming forward because they face an expensive and protracted legal struggle.

The report makes several recommendations.

It says the American Alliance of Museums should ensure museums comply with its guidelines "by abstaining from blocking claims on technical ground." It says museums that fail to do so should be subject to a review of their accreditation with the AAM.

The report also recommends legislation to extend statutes of limitations for Holocaust-era restitution claims.