Jury Orders BNP Paribas to Pay $20 Million to Refugees for Aiding Sudan Genocide

0
68

Plaintiffs: Bank “Fueled a Campaign of Destruction”

The plaintiffs’ legal team — from DiCello Levitt, Hausfeld LLP, Hecht Partners LLP, and Zuckerman Spaeder LLP — argued that BNP Paribas knowingly operated a “shadow banking system” for al-Bashir’s regime, allowing Sudan to bypass U.S. sanctions and access billions in U.S. dollars used to fund its genocidal campaign in Darfur.

“Our clients lost everything to a campaign of destruction fueled by U.S. dollars that BNP Paribas facilitated and that should have been stopped,” said Robert DiCello of DiCello Levitt, lead trial counsel.
“Today, they have been heard. This is a victory for justice and accountability.”

Michael Hausfeld, co-lead counsel and chairman of Hausfeld, likened the verdict to the post-World War II Nuremberg principles, saying it demonstrated “the power of law to reach across borders and hold even the largest institutions accountable.”

“The Sudanese survivors have endured unimaginable atrocities,” Hausfeld said. “This verdict begins to deliver a long-overdue measure of justice.”

BNP Paribas Denies Responsibility, Plans Appeal

In a statement Friday, BNP Paribas said it would appeal, calling the verdict “clearly wrong” and arguing it rests on a “distortion of controlling Swiss law” and excluded key evidence.

Signup for the USA Herald exclusive Newsletter