A federal judge in New York has ordered Iran to pay billions of dollars to the families of those who died in the 9/11 terrorist act, ABC News reported Tuesday, citing the court order.
The court has found Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Central Bank of Iran guilty of killing more than 1,000 people and ordered the payment of an indemnity to the victims' parents, spouses, siblings and children.
The amount of the money, ordered to pay, varies: $12.5 million per spouse, $8.5 million per parent, $8.5 million per child and $4.25 million per sibling.
The broadcaster noted that the decision was rather symbolic, as Iran was unlikely to ever pay the money.
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However, the ruling, which is part of the larger case filed by the 9/11 families against Saudi Arabia, allows the former to request a certain amount of money from seized Iranian assets.
At the same time, the commission turned a blind eye to the fact that 15 of the 19 terrorists involved in the 9/11 attacks were Saudi nationals.
The 9/11-related lawsuit filed under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) became a law in September 2016 once the US Congress overturned President Barack Obama's veto. JASTA allows the families of the victims of terrorist attacks committed on US soil to sue other countries and seek compensation from foreign governments.
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JASTA which among other things allows relatives of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia for its alleged role in the 2001 terrorist attacks has complicated the already tense relations between the US and one of its key allies in the Middle East. High-ranking Saudi officials have tried to convince the White House to abandon the law.
