Canadian Court Rules to Pay $1.7 Billion from Iran’s Assets to Terrorism Victims

A Canadian court has rejected Iran’s government objection to a ruling ordering the payment of $1.7 billion in compensation to terrorism victims from Iran’s assets.

Ontario Superior Court in Canada had ruled that compensation be paid from Iran’s non-diplomatic assets in the country to survivors of attacks by “terrorist” groups Hezbollah and Hamas.

Iran objected to this ruling, but Canada’s National Post reported on Tuesday, July 4, that the court rejected Iran’s appeal.

Three years ago, a court in New York ruled that $1.75 billion from Iran’s assets be paid to families of Americans killed in the 1983 Beirut bombing. Because Iran’s assets were insufficient to enforce the compensation orders, the survivors turned to Canadian courts to collect the compensation.

Although the Iranian government protested the rulings issued by the Canadian court citing the principle of “sovereign immunity,” the court rejected the objection by invoking the principle of “justice for terrorism victims.”

Canada’s Parliament approved the “Justice for Victims of Terrorism” law in 2012, which stipulates that the sovereign immunity of foreign countries that “support terrorism” will be waived in civil lawsuits filed by victims of terrorist acts.

Nevertheless, on Tuesday, following the announcement confirming the $1.7 billion compensation ruling from Iran’s assets, Bahram Qassemi, spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, rejected the ruling. According to ISNA, he stated that governments are immune under international law and held the United States government responsible in this matter.

Last year, a Canadian court also ruled to pay $13 million from Iran’s non-diplomatic assets in the country to survivors of terrorist attacks. In his ruling, the judge stated: “The question before the court is whether the government of Iran can enjoy judicial immunity in Canada due to its support for terrorism?”

Canada considers Iran a state sponsor of terrorism. The country severed its relations with Iran during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency, but following the nuclear agreement and the arrival of a new government in Canada, the country announced it would review the resumption of relations with Iran.

Source: Voice of America