Bombing victims alleging that Arab Bank plc assisted terrorist organizations got some good news on Monday, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a ruling that the bank should be sanctioned for refusing to turn over documents. The decision clears the way for trial in the case in August, and it could complicate Arab Bank’s efforts to persuade jurors that its hands are clean.
A handful of plaintiffs firms, including Osen LLC and Motley Rice, have long represented thousands of individuals affected by terrorist attacks in Israel between 2001 and 2004. They sued Arab Bank under the Anti-Terrorism Act beginning in 2004, alleging that the Jordan-based bank knowingly provided financial services to organizations acting as fronts for Hamas. The plaintiffs also claim that the bank helped a charity make cash payments to families of suicide bombers. The suits are being heard in U.S. district court in Brooklyn.
