(CLO) The US Supreme Court has agreed to consider a 2019 law that would allow Americans to sue the Palestinian Authority over attacks that have killed or injured them in Israel and elsewhere.
The law, called the "Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act," allows victims to sue the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) if they operate in the United States or pay people to carry out attacks on American citizens.
Outside the U.S. Supreme Court Building, in Washington, December 5, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
However, lower courts have ruled that the law violates the U.S. Constitution by infringing on the Palestinian organizations’ right to a fair trial. The Biden administration and a group of victims’ families have appealed, taking the case to the Supreme Court.
For years, US courts have debated whether they have jurisdiction to hear cases involving PA and PLO actions that occurred outside the United States.
Previously, in 2015, a US court ruled that the PA and PLO must pay $655 million in compensation to the families of victims of a series of bombings and shootings in Jerusalem from 2002 to 2004. However, this ruling was annulled in 2016 because the court lacked jurisdiction.
Then, in 2019, Congress passed a law allowing new lawsuits to proceed. One of those lawsuits involved the family of Ari Fuld, an American who was stabbed to death on the West Coast in 2018.
In 2022, a New York judge declared the law unconstitutional, as the US Congress could not force the PA and PLO to “consent” to US court jurisdiction. The ruling prompted further appeals by the victims’ families.
The victims' families hope the Supreme Court will restore their right to sue and bring them justice. "We are very hopeful about this ruling, because it gives the victims and their families an opportunity to get justice," said Kent Yalowitz, an attorney for the families.
The US Supreme Court is expected to hold a hearing and issue a ruling by the end of June 2025.
The US has repeatedly vetoed recognition of the State of Palestine at the United Nations, and has provided weapons to Israel in attacks that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and other areas of the Middle East.
Cao Phong (according to Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/toa-an-toi-cao-my-sap-kien-chinh-quyen-palestine-post324514.html
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