(BW) Presse économique et juridique
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--17 octobre 2002--Les familles des sept
américains tués le 19 septembre 1989 lors du bombardement
terroriste de l'avion de ligne français UTA, vol 772, engagent
un procès contre la Lybie et son dirigeant le colonel Muammar
Qadhafi pour ce bombardement qui s'est produit 9 mois après
que des agents libyens aient fait exploser le Pan Am vol 103 au-dessus
de Lockerbie, Ecosse. Le rôle de la Lybie dans les bombardements
de deux gros-porteurs fait l'objet de convictions criminelles contre
les officiers et agents libyens selon les lois française
et écossaise, de sanctions économiques selon les Nations
Unies, et d'une isolation diplomatique du régime Qadhafi.
The case was filed in the federal district court in Washington,
DC, and seeks $3.0 Billion in compensatory damages, as well as
unspecified punitive damages, for the deaths of the seven Americans
and related injuries to their families caused by a suitcase bomb
stored in the luggage hold of the DC-10 jumbo jet. UTA Flight 772
blew
up over the Niger, Africa desert while en route from Brazzaville,
Congo to Paris, after making a stopover in Chad. The bomb killed
all
170 passengers and crew aboard, including the seven Americans, and
completely destroyed the airliner. Among the American victims was
Bonnie Barnes Pugh, wife of Robert Pugh, then U.S. Ambassador to
Chad.
This case was made possible by 1996 amendments to the Foreign
Sovereign Immunities Act, by which Congress permitted lawsuits against
designated foreign states such as Libya that perpetrate or provide
material support for terrorist acts that result in personal injury
or
death to an American citizen. While the law does not extend to
non-U.S. citizens, the lawsuit has the support of the French, African
and other national victim families. The case is similar to the one
brought in New York against Libya by the families of the victims
of
Pan Am 103 which, according to press reports, the Libyan government
is
attempting to settle in order to end the economic sanctions and
diplomatic isolation.
Stuart H. Newberger, lead counsel for the seven families, said:
'After years of watching Libya dodge any meaningful responsibility
for
this act of mass-murder, the American families have decided to hold
Colonel Qadhafi and his cohorts accountable in a court of law.
Fortunately, U.S. law will allow the families to seek closure on
this
tragic event.' Six high-ranking officials of Libya who are named
as
defendants in the case were tried and convicted for the bombing
in
absentia by the French criminal court in Paris in 1999. While Libya
has said that it will not extradite the six to France, it did take
responsibility for paying the fines imposed on them by the French
courts.Contact:
Crowell & Moring LLP
Stuart H. Newberger, 202/624-2649
KEYWORD: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FRANCE LIBYA INTERNATIONAL EUROPE
AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: AIRLINES GOVERNMENT LEGAL/LAW TRANSPORTATION
TRAVEL
SOURCE: Crowell & Moring LLP |
