U.S. top court says Iran must pay $2 bn to terror victimsApril 21, 2016 - 10:13 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, April 20 that Iran must hand over nearly $2 billion in frozen assets to survivors and relatives of those killed in attacks blamed on the Islamic republic, AFP reports. In a 6-2 decision, the court upheld rulings in favor of victims and relatives of the 241 U.S. service members killed in the 1983 bombing of U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing that killed 19 Americans in Saudi Arabia, and other attacks blamed on Iran. More than 1,000 Americans are affected by the decision. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the court's opinion rejecting the Iranian central bank's efforts to block payments to victims and relatives, AFP says. Matthew McGill, a partner at Olson's firm, said his legal team will "promptly" ask the lower court supervising the funds to carry out the Supreme Court ruling and distribute the award. It was also a win for President Barack Obama's administration and for Congress, which passed a 2012 law ordering Iran's Bank Markazi to turn over frozen bond assets it held in a New York account at Citibank. Iran argued the law was unconstitutional as it violated separation of powers, with U.S. lawmakers ordering a particular result in a legal case, but federal courts rejected that claim and backed the law. The lower courts also denied the central bank's request for legal immunity. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |