Historic Human Rights Verdict: Jury Awards $20M+ To Sudanese Refugees In Landmark Genocide Litigation

DiCello Levitt, Hausfeld, Hecht Partners, and Zuckerman Spaeder Win Class Action Bellwether Trial Against Global Banking Giant BNP Paribas for Violating U.S. Sanctions By Financing and Supporting Sudan Atrocities

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark decision, a Manhattan federal jury has found BNP Paribas liable for its role in enabling the genocidal atrocities committed against Black African civilians in Sudan by the al-Bashir dictatorship from 2002 to 2008, paving the way for more than 20,000 Sudanese refugees living in the United States to seek billions more in recovery. The verdict marks a historic moment in human rights and financial accountability, setting a precedent for holding global banks civilly liable for facilitating regimes accused of crimes against humanity.

The five-week jury trial, tried before the Hon. Alvin Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York, centered on BNP Paribas's admitted violations of U.S. sanctions, which allowed Sudan's government to access billions of U.S. dollars through its Geneva office during the height of the Sudan conflict. Plaintiffs argued, and the jury agreed, that the bank's financial services were a "natural and adequate cause" of the harm suffered by survivors of ethnic cleansing and mass violence. The jury awarded $6.4 million to Abulgasim Abdalla, $7.3 million to Entesar Osman Kashef, and $6.75 million to Turjuman Adam.

"This verdict is a victory for justice and accountability," said Lead Trial Attorney Bobby DiCello, Partner at DiCello Levitt. "The jury recognized that financial institutions cannot turn a blind eye to the consequences of their actions. Our clients lost everything to a campaign of destruction fueled by U.S. dollars, that BNP Paribas facilitated and that should have been stopped. Today, they have been heard."

"This case demonstrates the power of the law to reach across borders and hold even the largest institutions accountable, consistent with the principles at Nuremberg, for their role in human rights abuses," said Co-Lead Counsel Michael Hausfeld, Founder and Chair Emeritus of Hausfeld. "The Sudanese survivors have endured unimaginable atrocities, and this verdict begins to deliver some long-overdue measure of justice."

The lawsuit, Kashef, et al. v. BNP Paribas, et al., was brought on behalf of Sudanese refugees who fled violence and persecution throughout Sudan. The plaintiffs alleged that BNP Paribas's deliberate facilitation of billions in U.S. dollar transactions for Sudan's government enabled the regime's campaign of ethnic cleansing, displacement, and mass killing. The jury's verdict is among the first of its kind to hold a global bank civilly liable for financially enabling human rights abuses.

"This verdict is first and foremost a testament to the courage and resilience of the survivors, whose voices have finally been recognized in a court of law," said Co-Lead Counsel Kathryn "Lee" Boyd, Partner at Hecht Partners. "It also sends a powerful message that banks and corporations can and will be held responsible for the real-world consequences of their actions."

Plaintiffs are represented by DiCello Levitt'sBobby DiCello, Ken Abbarno, Greg Gutzler, Carrie Syme, Mark DiCello, Adam Levitt, Joseph Frate, and Madeline Harding; Hausfeld'sMichael Hausfeld, Scott Gilmore, Amanda Lee-Dasgupta, Mary Van Houten Harper, James Gotz, Claire Rosset, and Percy Metcalfe; Hecht Partners' Kathryn Lee Boyd, David L. Hecht, Maxim Price, Kristen Nelson, and Michael Eggenberger; and Zuckerman Spaeder'sAitan Goelman and Cy Smith.

About DiCello Levitt
At DiCello Levitt, we're dedicated to achieving justice for our clients through class action, civil and human rights, environmental, mass tort, securities, financial services, antitrust, business-to-business, public client, whistleblower, and personal injury litigation. Our lawyers are highly respected for their ability to litigate and win cases—whether by trial, settlement, or otherwise—for people who have suffered harm, global corporations that have sustained significant economic losses, and public clients seeking to protect their citizens' rights and interests. Every day, we put our reputations—and our capital—on the line for our clients.

DiCello Levitt has achieved top recognition as Plaintiffs Firm of the Year and Trial Innovation Firm of the Year by the National Law Journal, in addition to its top-tier Chambers and Benchmark ratings. For more information about the firm, including recent trial victories and case resolutions, please visit www.dicellolevitt.com.

About Hausfeld
Hausfeld is a global litigation firm known for shaping the law, advancing legal practice, and pursuing bold, high-stakes claims others won't. Our experienced litigators and arbitrators have a proven track record across human rights, antitrust, commercial and financial disputes, environmental law, product liability, and technology-related issues. With 11 offices across the US, UK, and Europe, we consistently secure landmark settlements and precedent-setting decisions against some of the world's most powerful opponents. Socially minded and committed to access to justice, we champion strong corporate governance and serve both individuals and businesses.

Recognized as one of the Financial Times' most innovative law firms since 2013, Hausfeld has been honored for pioneering litigation funding and groundbreaking work in access to justice. Most recently, Hausfeld was the only plaintiffs' firm named among FT North America's Most Innovative Law Firms: Overall, and founder Michael Hausfeld was recognized in 2025 in FT's 20 Years of Innovation report for transforming legal practice through class actions and litigation funding. For more information about Hausfeld, including recent trial victories and landmark settlements, please visit www.hausfeld.com.

About Hecht Partners
Hecht Partners LLP is a leading litigation boutique specializing in impact, intellectual property rights, and transnational arbitration and litigation. Our clients include some of the most innovative and emerging companies and individuals in the entertainment, digital media, and tech industries. We pride ourselves on our entrepreneurial spirit and lean, efficient operations based in next-generation technologies that have yet to be adopted by the vast majority of the legal industry.

Hecht Partners and its lawyers have been recognized by Chambers, Billboard, Crain's, Super Lawyers, and the IAM Strategy 300.  The firm's attorneys are Martindale-Hubbell Peer Reviewed and Client Reviewed, with a 100% client recommendation.

About Zuckerman Spaeder 
With more than four decades of experience managing complex, high-stakes legal disputes and investigations, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP is considered one of the nation's premier litigation boutiques. The firm's highly accomplished attorneys, many of whom served as prosecutors or senior government officials, represent businesses, organizations, and individuals in white collar defense, enforcement actions, commercial disputes, health care litigation, ethics matters, class actions, and more. Among the firm's recent recognitions: National Law Journal's "D.C. Litigation Department of the Year" and "Midsize Hot List"; U.S. News & World Report Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" - "Tier 1" national ranking in Commercial Litigation, Real Estate, Regulatory Enforcement, and White Collar Criminal Defense and; Law360 White Collar, Health Care, and Benefits Practice Group of the Year.

SOURCE DiCello Levitt LLP