Roskam Praises Ruling On Aircraft Sales To Iran

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Peter J. Roskam (R-IL) praised Judge Rubin Castillo's ruling requiring Boeing to produce the contract details of its sales agreement with Iran Air enabling the identification of Iranian assets that may be used to compensate the victims of Iranian-backed terrorism. Judge Castillo presides over the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.

In October 2017, Representative Roskam and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging him to advocate for transparency in this case, in which victims of Iranian terrorism are seeking compensation for damages previously awarded to them in the case Shlomo Leibovitch et al v. The Syrian Arab Republic et al. In the letter, the lawmakers stressed the need for Boeing to disclose terms of its recently struck multi-billion-dollar commercial-airline agreement with Iran Air, Iran's state-owned carrier which was previously sanctioned for illicitly supporting Iran's military and terrorist activities.

The Leibovitch family, whose child was killed in a 2003 Iran-sponsored terrorist attack, is seeking to enforce an unpaid $67 million judgment against Iran by demanding information of Iranian assets in the U.S. and potentially placing a lien on those which may be in the possession of Boeing. To date, Boeing has refused to disclose any of the deal's terms, claiming it would harm national security by jeopardizing the Iran nuclear deal.

Representative Roskam released the following statement on yesterday's ruling:

"This court ruling is a step in the right direction to hold Iran accountable for its heinous support for terrorism. These victims are now one step closer to receiving the compensation they deserve. Although no amount of money can pacify the pain the Leibovitch family has suffered at the hands of the Iranians, enforcing the Leibovitch ruling will impose a consequence on Tehran for its nefarious activities and add to U.S. efforts to deter such activities.

"As for Boeing, Airbus, and other potential Iran Air suppliers, this decision is indicative of the risks of doing business with the world's foremost state sponsor of terrorism, let alone the terror-supporting transport-arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. I remain dumbfounded that iconic Western companies are attempting to sell militarily-fungible aircraft to Iran while its regime is actively supporting and using commercial airliners to fuel the Assad Regime's crimes against humanity."

Source