In First-Of-Its-Kind U.S. Court Decision, Federal Judge In 9/11 Lawsuit Orders Saudi Arabia To Produce High-Ranking Ministers And Royal Family Members For Depositions
NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Statement from Kreindler & Kreindler LLP, Law Firm Representing 9/11 Plaintiffs in Federal Court:
On the 19th anniversary of the worst attack on the United States in the nation's long history, there is an important development in the lawsuit brought by the 9/11 families against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its role in supporting the 9/11 attacks.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Depositions of Former Ambassador and Saudi Royals
On September 10, 2020, the Federal Court in the Southern District of New York made public its under seal August 27, 2020, Opinion & Order of Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn, who has now issued a groundbreaking decision directing Saudi Arabia to produce 24 key Saudi government officials to provide sworn testimony.
The Kingdom had strongly opposed the motion and sought to limit the testimony to lower level officials. Judge Netburn had previously heard arguments from counsel for Saudi Arabia and the 9/11 families at a four-hour-long May 2020 video conference attended by hundreds of 9/11 family members.
The Court's order, just unsealed, holds that plaintiffs in the 9/11 lawsuit have the right to question under oath senior Saudi government ministers, including members of the Saudi Royal Family, about the roles of Saudi government officials in providing support to the 9/11 hijackers inside the United States.
Among the Ministers who were cleared by the Court to testify are:
- former Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz;
- former Saudi Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahad bin Abdulaziz - son of the former King,
- Minister of Islamic Affairs Saleh bin Abdulaziz al Ash-Shaikh; and,
- Embassy Chief of Staff Ahmed al Qattan
According to Steve Pounian, the Kreindler & Kreindler attorney who argued the case on behalf of the 9/11 families, "No court has ever ordered a foreign nation to produce its highest-ranking ministers to provide testimony – let alone members of a royal family."
"This is a major development because until now, the Kingdom has produced very little actual documentation concerning its government officials working in the United States before the 9/11 attacks," said attorney James Kreindler. "The Saudi government assumed it could hide documents and protect key officials from being questioned. Given the August 27 order released today, that is clearly not the case."
"Saudi Arabia thus far has not agreed to produce the witnesses identified in the order and may still challenge or seek to minimize the implications of the ruling," noted attorney Andrew Maloney. "Nonetheless, this is a major development in this case."
Note to editors: A copy of the court order is accessible at: https://www.kreindler.com/USDC-SDNY-Saudi-Order-8-27-20.pdf
SOURCE Kreindler & Kreindler LLP
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