Arab Bank Update: U.S. Court of Appeals denies its appeal of sanctions

On Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Manhattan denied Arab Bank's mandamus petition and appeal of a sanctions order imposed by U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon in a case brought by terrorism victims against Arab Bank for its alleged role in financing terrorist activity. The sanctions were imposed after the bank failed to comply with several court orders to produce documents in the litigation.

Motley Rice represents survivors and family members of those killed or maimed by terrorist groups such as Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The complaint alleges that Arab Bank violated the federal Anti-Terrorism Act and aided and abetted genocide and crimes against humanity in violation of international laws by serving as the paymaster to families of terrorist suicide bombers.

Motley Rice anti-terrorism attorney Michael Elsner said in response to the development, "I am pleased with the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals as it corrects the evidentiary imbalance caused by the Bank's willful refusal to abide by court orders and produce the bank records of its alleged terrorist customers. Most importantly, this recent action brings us one step closer to obtaining justice for all of those we believe were victims of Arab Bank's terrorism funding."