Suing Iran

The president of the European Jewish Congress, Pierre Besnainou, has given his
support to a civil suit being brought against Pres. Ahmedinejad of Iran for
Holocaust denial, which is a crime in the Federal Republic of Germany. The
case is being brought by an Israeli NGO, The Civil Union, that specializes in
such legal actions. If successful, this case could result in an international
warrant for Ahmedinejad's arrest. The practical implications would be to
prevent Amhedinejad from setting foot in Germany, and probably
anywhere else in the EU. This would prevent Ahmedinejad from visiting
Germany as planned for the FIFA International Football tournament. As is
well known, Ahmedinejad has repeatedly denied that the Holocaust occurred,
and has also incited Genocide against the Jewish people, both crimes in
Germany. But, more than that he has specifically involved Germany in many of
his remarks and speeches, saying that Germany was unjustifiably accused by the
Jews of carrying out the Holocaust, and that Germany should set aside some of
its land so that the Jews of Israel could be repatriated there.
In separate actions, several American Jews are suing the Republic of Iran for
hundreds of millions of dollars for the wrongful deaths by terrorism of their
relatives visiting Israel. Alisa Flatow, a 20 year old Brandeis University
student from New Jersey was killed in a terrorist attack near the settlement
of Kfar Darom on April 9, 1995, and David Boim, a yeshiva student waiting at a
bus stop near Jerusalem was gunned down by Palestinian terrorists on May 13,
1996. The law of 1992 introduced by the Clinton Administration ruled that
US civilians could sue in US courts to obtain recompense from organizations
and/or individuals in the US that can be shown to be connected to the
terrorist organizations involved in the death or injury of their family
members. Boim's parents, with the ADL, sued the Qoranic Literacy Institute
of Illinois, and 3 other front "charity" institutions for collecting money for
Hamas and Mohammed Salah, who was a fundraiser for Hamas. They were
awarded a judgment of m$156, that is now being appealed. A group of about 50
American families of murdered Americans are following this lead and are now
suing in a Brooklyn court a group of 5 Arab banks that have handled money for
Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations.
After this successful action, and in response to the further changes in law
introduced by the Bush Administration that allows individuals to sue foreign
Governments for their support of terrorism, the Boims have now brought a
civil case against the Republic of Iran. This is based on two specific sets
of facts, first that there is ample evidence for the support of Iran for
terrorist activities by Palestinian terror groups against Israeli civilians,
in fact millions of dollars have been paid by Iran both to the terrorist
organizations (Islamic Jihad, Hamas) and to the families of suicide bombers.
Also, although one of the killers of Boim was later killed as a subsequent
suicide bomber, the other was captured by the IDF and confessed to having
been trained in Iran, both in weapons use and carrying out terrorist
attacks, for which he gave specifics of places and dates.
The plaintiffs are requesting m$700 from the funds of Iran frozen in US
banks. In a judgment last week, the Judge ruled in the US court that there
is merit to the case and it can go ahead. Although the Boims are not
interested in making money from this case, they are interested in depleting
the coffers of Iran, and since the funds are frozen in the US they, are as it
were, ripe for the picking. If this suit is successful, as it has a very good
chance to be, then the families of many other victims of terrorism may follow
their lead, and then it could start to become a real factor in the war against
terror! The Iranians should learn that statements and actions have
consequences.
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This article was based on news articles in the Jerusalem Post, a column by
Daniel Pipes, and various web sites.