Latest news with #ForeignSovereignImmunitiesAct
Associated Press
7 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
NAS PENSACOLA TERRORISM VICTIMS WILL ARGUE THE APPEAL OF THEIR LAWSUIT AGAINST THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA ON JUNE 3, 2025
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Jeffrey E. McFadden, LLC wish to announce that on the morning of June 3, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit will hear oral argument on the appeal of the lawsuit victims and their families filed against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after a Royal Saudi Air Force ('RSAF') officer went on a shooting rampage at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida on December 6, 2019. The argument will take place in the Gerald B. Tjoflat Courtroom (13th Floor) of the United States Courthouse located at 300 North Hogan Street, Jacksonville, Florida. The date of the shooting coincided two years to the day of President Trump's announcement on December 6, 2017, declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and marked the first time since the attacks of September 11, 2001 that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula had been involved in a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. The shooter, Mohammed Saeed Al-Shamrani, a Second Lieutenant in the RSAF, murdered three U.S. Servicemembers and severely injured four U.S. Navy servicemembers; a Navy civil servant; seven Escambia County Sherrif's deputies; and a member of the Department of Defense Police Force. Al-Shamrani was at NAS Pensacola for flight training under a Security Cooperation Education & Training Program administered under U.S. foreign military sales to Saudi Arabia. In the wake of the shootings, the U.S. Department of Justice declared the incident to be an act of international terrorism. All of the victims, and in the cases of those killed, their families, filed a civil complaint against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on February 22, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Pensacola, pleading 19 causes of action, all of which seek to hold the Kingdom civilly liable for the acts of its military officer. In extended motions practice, the Kingdom sought to dismiss the suit on grounds of immunity under the U.S. Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act ('FSIA'). On March 30, 2024, the U.S. District Court granted the Kingdom's motion, and the victims and their families timely filed an appeal with the Eleventh Circuit. In addition to raising important questions about a foreign sovereign's civil liability for an act of international terrorism in U.S. soil, the appeal raises a number of questions of first impression regarding the Foreign Sovereign Immunicites Act – including the meaning of certain provisions of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act of 2016, which neither the U.S. Supreme Court nor any federal court of appeals has previously interpreted. The case is captioned Benjamin Watson, Jr., et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, No. 24-11310 (11th Cir.). View original content: SOURCE Law Offices of Jeffrey E. McFadden, LLC
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Federal judge issues $20M verdict against Syria for torture of US citizen taken captive in 2019
A Washington, D.C.-based law firm secured a judgment of more than $20 million against the Syrian Arab Republic on behalf of Sam Goodwin, a St. Louis native held captive in the country's notorious prison system for 63 days while on a trip to visit every country in the world. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly awarded Goodwin $20,201,620 in damages, about $10 million each in compensatory and punitive damages, in response to a lawsuit filed under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's "state sponsor of terrorism" exception. Roughly half of the judgment is payable through the U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which is financed by sanctions proceeds and other penalties. Depending on the amount of money in the fund, Goodwin could get a certain percentage of compensatory damages over several years. Family Of American Hostage Tortured In Lebanon Wins Landmark Case Against Iran "Nations that violate international human rights standards must face consequences, and courageous survivors like Sam help ensure the world does not ignore the atrocities perpetrated by the Assad regime," said Kirby Behre, a member of Miller & Chevalier's litigation department and lead counsel for Goodwin. "While nothing can completely compensate for Sam's suffering, this represents yet another powerful step forward in the broader effort to confront those responsible for such grave injustices." Read On The Fox News App Goodwin entered war-torn Syria from Iraq in 2019 as part of a years-long quest to visit every country in the world. He stayed in Qamishli, a city on the Turkey-Syria border, which he believed was under the control of the U.S.-backed Kurds. Syria's Liberated Political Prisons Reveal Grim Reality Of Bashar Assad's Regime Of Torture The former Division I collegiate hockey player was detained by men in military uniforms at a roundabout not far from his hotel while on FaceTime with his mother, Ann. "I was taken into the basement of a facility that I now know is called Syria's Military Intelligence [Branch] number 215, a facility notoriously known for housing political prisoners, and I was held here in solitary confinement for 27 days," Goodwin told Fox News Digital last year ahead of the release of his book, "Saving Sam: The True Story of an American's Disappearance in Syria and His Family's Extraordinary Fight to Bring Him Home." "The only human interaction I had was for a few seconds in the morning and evening when the guards who brought bread and boiled potatoes and water." His lawyers said he was tortured at Branch 215 by the now-ousted regime of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and subjected to prolonged interrogation. At one point, Goodwin's interrogator threatened to hand him over to ISIS after he refused to admit to accusations of being a spy. Us Diplomats In Damascus For First Time In More Than 10 Years Following Fall Of Assad Regime His release was secured by General Abbas Ibrahim, then Lebanon's top security official, who was put in contact with the family by Joseph Abbas, the uncle of Goodwin's sister's friend and former college roommate. His family worked tirelessly to bring him home, collaborating with the FBI, CIA, State Department, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, Vatican envoys, Middle East experts and others. "This judgment is about far more than what happened to me. It's a stand for anyone who has suffered human rights abuses around the world. I hope it gives other victims the courage to speak up and, above all, serves as a warning that such crimes will not be tolerated or forgotten," Goodwin told Fox News Digital in a statement. Miller & Chevalier has secured other judgments against the Syrian Arab Republic, including one for approximately $50 million in 2023 for Kevin Dawes, another American citizen who was illegally arrested, imprisoned and tortured in Syria. In July, it filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family of Dr. Majd Kamalmaz, a psychotherapist and humanitarian who was detained at a government checkpoint in Damascus, Syria, in 2017, accusing the Syrian Arab Republic of abducting, torturing and killing article source: Federal judge issues $20M verdict against Syria for torture of US citizen taken captive in 2019
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - China caused the COVID catastrophe — at long last let's hold it accountable
More than 1.1 million Americans died from COVID-19 — a figure higher than any war in U.S. history. Millions of families were denied the final moments with loved ones, watching parents, spouses and children slip away behind hospital walls. It was a tragedy compounded not only by the virus itself, but by deception, denial and silence from Beijing. Mounting evidence, including assessments from the FBI and CIA, now suggests that the novel coronavirus leaked from a Chinese laboratory. The Chinese Communist Party destroyed samples, silenced whistleblowers, and denied international investigators access. In the early days of the outbreak, the party even restricted exports of vital personal protective equipment, including masks and gowns, leaving American doctors and nurses unprotected. Hundreds died on the front lines. Had it not been for Taiwan's timely donation of millions of masks to U.S. states, the toll would have been far worse. The economic cost is also staggering. Based on the productivity of an average U.S. worker, the lives lost represent an estimated $770 billion in GDP — an incalculable loss of national value and human potential. Some states, including Missouri, have already pursued lawsuits against China, seeking damages for negligence and cover-ups. These efforts highlight a crucial question: If states can demand accountability, why not the federal government? Now back in office, President Trump has the opportunity — and the obligation — to lead. Congress should act swiftly to amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to remove protection for governments that deliberately conceal global health threats. Simultaneously, the administration can identify Chinese state-owned assets within U.S. jurisdiction and begin lawful seizure proceedings. Even more boldly, the Treasury Department and the Department of Justice should explore legal paths to freeze or cancel a portion of the more than $800 billion in U.S. Treasury securities held by China. This isn't just about justice. It's about easing America's debt burden and reaffirming the principle that there are consequences for state-level malfeasance. Critics will claim this endangers the dollar. But the greater threat is moral capitulation. If the U.S. cannot hold the world's second-largest economy accountable for unleashing a global pandemic, what future crisis will go unanswered? Americans are still mourning. Now is the time for Trump to step forward and show leadership — and justice. Vincent C. Chen is a former leader of Taiwan's Wild Lily student movement for democracy and is an executive in the information and communications industry. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
China caused the COVID catastrophe — at long last let's hold it accountable
More than 1.1 million Americans died from COVID-19 — a figure higher than any war in U.S. history. Millions of families were denied the final moments with loved ones, watching parents, spouses and children slip away behind hospital walls. It was a tragedy compounded not only by the virus itself, but by deception, denial and silence from Beijing. Mounting evidence, including assessments from the FBI and CIA, now suggests that the novel coronavirus leaked from a Chinese laboratory. The Chinese Communist Party destroyed samples, silenced whistleblowers, and denied international investigators access. In the early days of the outbreak, the party even restricted exports of vital personal protective equipment, including masks and gowns, leaving American doctors and nurses unprotected. Hundreds died on the front lines. Had it not been for Taiwan's timely donation of millions of masks to U.S. states, the toll would have been far worse. The economic cost is also staggering. Based on the productivity of an average U.S. worker, the lives lost represent an estimated $770 billion in GDP — an incalculable loss of national value and human potential. Some states, including Missouri, have already pursued lawsuits against China, seeking damages for negligence and cover-ups. These efforts highlight a crucial question: If states can demand accountability, why not the federal government? Now back in office, President Trump has the opportunity — and the obligation — to lead. Congress should act swiftly to amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to remove protection for governments that deliberately conceal global health threats. Simultaneously, the administration can identify Chinese state-owned assets within U.S. jurisdiction and begin lawful seizure proceedings. Even more boldly, the Treasury Department and the Department of Justice should explore legal paths to freeze or cancel a portion of the more than $800 billion in U.S. Treasury securities held by China. This isn't just about justice. It's about easing America's debt burden and reaffirming the principle that there are consequences for state-level malfeasance. Critics will claim this endangers the dollar. But the greater threat is moral capitulation. If the U.S. cannot hold the world's second-largest economy accountable for unleashing a global pandemic, what future crisis will go unanswered? Americans are still mourning. Now is the time for Trump to step forward and show leadership — and justice. Vincent C. Chen is a former leader of Taiwan's Wild Lily student movement for democracy and is an executive in the information and communications industry.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mississippi sues China for $200bn for costs associated with the Covid-19 pandemic
The state of Mississippi has declared victory in its $200 billion Covid lawsuit against the People's Republic of China - now it just has to work out how to get paid. Officials in Mississippi must wait for a federal judge to determine if China can be forced to pay it the massive sum after it failed to show up in court in March and a default judgment was entered against it. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch sued China and other parties back in 2020, claiming the country deliberately hid information about the Covid-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, the AG's office dismissed the Chinese Academy of Sciences as a co-defendant in the lawsuit, reported The Clarion-Ledger. The suit alleges that China failed to fully share the dangers of the deadly virus as it tried to 'corner the market' on PPE equipment such as masks as it spread across the globe. 'The Defendants engaged in a cover-up and a misleading public relations campaign, which included censoring scientists and ordering the destruction and suppression of valuable research,' the AG's office said in a statement. 'Further, the foreign Defendants bought up the supply of PPE, committed hostile takeovers of U.S. factories in China to prevent them from shipping PPE to the U.S., and then turned around and sold substandard PPE to Mississippi at inflated prices - all while hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, including in Mississippi, began to get sick and die.' Fitch claims China earned $6.2 trillion on PPE sales in 2020, while more than 13,000 victims died of the virus in Mississippi. The AG claims she can sue under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and the state's antitrust laws. In March, the Missouri Attorney General's Office said it was looking at seizing $24.5 billion in Chinese assets in the state to recoup damages in a similar COVID-19 lawsuit. However, it's unclear how Mississippi would collect any money from China, which has never recognized the lawsuit as being valid or the federal court as having jurisdiction. Last month, the White House launched a website stating that the coronavirus came from a lab leak in China. In response, China made the case that the virus may have originated in the U.S.
