In a ruling passed on Monday, April 30, in the case of Thomas Burnett, Sr et al v. The Islamic Republic of Iran et al, Judge George B Daniels of the Southern District Court of New York found Iran, its Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Iran’s Central Bank liable for the deaths of over 1,000 people on 9/11.
The total amount, which is order to be paid to the families and estates of the deceased, is calculated as:
• $12,500,000 per spouse
• $8,500,000 per parent
• $8,500,000 per child
• $4,250,000 per sibling
It also includes a 4.96% annual interest rate, from the date of the terrorist attack until the date of the default judgement.
It should be noted that a default judgement is issued when a defendant does not contest the case in court, which Iran did not.
This is not the first time that Judge Daniels has issued default judgements against Iran. He also did so in 2011 and 2016 related to the 9/11 attacks.
What role did Iran play in 9/11?
According to the lawsuit, the Iranian Regime supplied the hijackers with training and other assistance. The 9/11 Commission found that Iran had allowed the hijackers to travel through Iran on their way to Afghanistan without being subjected to proper border security or having their passports stamped.
Although, it was not raised in this case, it is also noteworthy that it was recently revealed that Iran sheltered the 9/11 plotters after the attacks when the Americans entered the Middle East to look for Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden.
The lawsuit
Typically, foreign governments are immune from lawsuit s in US courts, but this changed following the passage of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) in 2016.
This allowed US citizens to sue foreign governments over their participation in international terrorism if it harmed the families of American people.
This specific lawsuit against Iran was issued in a court case that consolidated over 40 lawsuits that had been going on for a number of years.
However, it is unlikely that the Regime will ever pay the money over.
Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism
There is no doubt that Iran is heavily involved in international terrorism, from its funding of terrorist groups like Hezbollah to its terrorist training camps to support of Al Qaeda and ISIS.
This is how the Regime plunders the wealth of the Iranian people and they must be stopped. The best way to ensure this is to end the appeasement of the Regime and support the people’s call for Regime change.
