A U.S. judge has ruled that BNP Paribas must confront allegations in court regarding its purported involvement in Sudan's genocide spanning from 1997 to 2011.
BNP Paribas faces lawsuit over alleged role in sudanese genocide
A man stops at the French bank BNP Paribas headquarters in Paris. Tuesday Feb 5, 2013
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Jacques Brinon/AP
The lawsuit contends that the French bank facilitated the Sudanese government's atrocities by offering banking services that violated American sanctions. While BNP Paribas refrained from commenting on the ruling, it previously settled U.S. charges related to unlawful transactions with Sudanese entities, agreeing to pay a substantial penalty.
The judge's decision, based on substantial evidence linking the bank's financing to human rights abuses, allows the case to proceed. Representing U.S. residents who fled conflict-ridden regions like South Sudan, Darfur, and the Nuba Mountains, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the alleged atrocities.
Originally filed in 2016, the case was dismissed in 2018 but later revived by a federal appeals court in 2019. Additionally, the judge dismissed claims for punitive damages, citing Swiss law governing BNP Paribas' liability in the matter.