News Summary
A federal jury in New York has mandated BNP Paribas to pay nearly $21 million for its role in facilitating human rights abuses by the Sudanese government. The ruling arises from a case involving three U.S. citizens from Sudan, who argued that the bank enabled the government’s campaign of persecution between 2002 and 2008. Each plaintiff was awarded substantial damages for their suffering linked to the violent conflicts in their homeland. BNP Paribas announced plans to appeal the decision, claiming that it did not knowingly assist in the abuses.
New York – A federal jury in New York has ordered BNP Paribas, France’s largest bank, to pay nearly $21 million for facilitating human rights abuses by the Sudanese government. The jury found that between 2002 and 2008, BNP Paribas provided the Sudanese authorities with access to the U.S. financial system during a period characterized by severe atrocities and persecution in Sudan.
The three plaintiffs in the case, all U.S. citizens originally from Sudan, were awarded between $6.4 million to $7.3 million each for their suffering. Each plaintiff has been displaced from their homes and property due to the violent conflicts in their country. The jury deliberated for approximately four hours before reaching its decision on Friday.
In a pretrial memo, the plaintiffs argued that BNP Paribas played a significant role in enabling the Sudanese government’s notorious campaign of persecution, which is considered one of the most egregious in modern history. The plaintiffs’ lawyer expressed gratitude for the jury’s decision, highlighting the importance of holding the bank accountable for its actions.
BNP Paribas has reacted strongly to the verdict, asserting that it is “clearly wrong” and announcing plans to appeal. The bank claims that critical evidence was excluded from the trial and maintains that Sudan had alternative sources of funding. Additionally, BNP Paribas denied knowingly assisting the Sudanese government in its human rights abuses.
During the relevant period, BNP Paribas facilitated access for Sudanese authorities to international money markets. It is estimated that the conflict in Darfur, which lasted from 2003 onwards, resulted in the deaths of between 200,000 to 300,000 individuals, alongside displacing approximately 2.7 million more.
Former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is currently incarcerated in a military detention facility and faces charges of genocide by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The situation in Sudan remains dire, with the country embroiled in a civil war for over two years, which has exacerbated issues of displacement and hunger crises.
BNP Paribas also contends that it should not be held liable for the human rights abuses that occurred before and after its involvement in Sudan. The bank stresses that it did not finance the Sudanese military and that there is no direct evidence linking its transactions to the injuries suffered by the plaintiffs.
The verdict has been described as a landmark decision, marking a critical moment in holding a global bank civilly accountable for facilitating international crimes. The trial has been referred to as a “bellwether trial,” which may influence the fate of other Sudanese refugees. An estimated 23,000 refugees are part of a class-action case against the bank, indicating that this ruling may open the door for more than 20,000 Sudanese refugees currently living in the U.S. to seek damages.
This development follows BNP Paribas’s previous legal troubles, where the bank paid nearly $9 billion in 2014 for violating U.S. sanctions related to financial transactions with Sudan, Cuba, and Iran. The impact of this new verdict could have far-reaching implications for both the bank and Sudanese individuals affected by the sustained violence and historical injustices.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
- Al Jazeera
- Wikipedia: BNP Paribas
- Reuters
- Google Search: Sudan atrocities BNP Paribas
- France 24
- Google Scholar: BNP Paribas Sudan human rights
- Forbes
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Sudanese Civil War
- Los Angeles Times
- Google News: BNP Paribas Sudan human rights abuses
Author: STAFF HERE NEW YORK WRITER
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