April 20, 2016 | Press Release

Statement by Mark Dubowitz on today’s Supreme Court ruling on Bank Markazi vs. Peterson

Washington, DC — This ruling is a victory for American victims of Iranian terrorism, and a strike against the Iranian regime that has long been a state sponsor of terrorism. Hopefully there will be no further delays in giving victims of Iranian terrorism the compensation they deserve and for which they have waited so long.

The ruling sheds light on the dark fact that Iran’s illicit activities extend beyond the nuclear realm. The July nuclear agreement between the international community and Iran does not expunge Iran’s decades-long rap-sheet of terrorist activities, including terrorist attacks against American service members and citizens.

From a public policy perspective, the Iranian government needs to be punished for its support of past acts of terrorism.

Not only will the victims of Iranian terrorism be compensated for their suffering, but Iran itself will now be held responsible for the deplorable acts of terrorism that it sponsors. We hope it also serves to meaningfully deter it from continuing to do the same, but Congress, the administration, and indeed the world community must not allow it the benefits of legitimacy until it ceases this malign behavior.

The court’s decision underscores the role Congress played in passing the Iran Threat Reduction and Syrian Human Rights Act of 2012 which removed sovereign immunity protections from the assets in question and clarified that these assets could be used to settle outstanding claims against Iran. The provision in the law made it easier for victims of terrorism to receive compensation.

The legislation was supported by overwhelming bipartisan majorities of both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Obama.

FDD has long argued that the Iran Threat Reduction and Syrian Human Rights Act of 2012 is a critical tool in the United States’ sustained efforts to use economic sanctions to punish Iran for, and deter it from, supporting acts of terrorism against U.S. citizens.

Last week, FDD presented the Alberto Nisman Award for Courage to Judge Royce Lamberth who ruled in Peterson v. Islamic Republic of Iran, about which the Supreme Court ruled today, in which Iran was charged with responsibility for the bombing of the U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983.

America did not take decisive action at the time. But in an American court of law in 2003, 20 years after the attack, Judge Lamberth held Iran responsible, clearing the way for survivors’ families to sue the regime. In three separate, subsequent lawsuits, the judge levied monetary damages against Iran for supporting Hezbollah in perpetrating the bombing.

Judge Lamberth specifically concluded that Iran’s Ministry of Information and Security actively participated in the attack on October 23, 1983, which was carried out by MOIS agents with the assistance of Hezbollah.

In presenting the Alberto Nisman Award for Courage, FDD noted that “Judge Lamberth, has boldly applied the law to hold accountable those responsible for horrific terrorist attacks.”

FDD wrote an amicus brief in support of the victims.

About the Foundation for Defense of Democracies:

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)3 policy institute focusing on foreign policy and national security. Founded in 2001, FDD combines policy research, democracy and counterterrorism education, strategic communications and investigative journalism in support of its mission to promote pluralism, defend democratic values and fight the ideologies that drive terrorism. Visit our website at www.defenddemocracy.org and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Media Contact:

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Issues:

Iran