By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 21 – Turkey's Halkbank has officially given up its strategy of refusing to official appear in the US criminal case against it, and on February 25, 2020 appeared and agreed to be indicted. Inner City Press live tweeted it here and below.
On April 12, 2021 with the case stayed pending appeal, a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit heard the arguments. Inner City Press live tweeted it, here: [& fast podcast here]
On October 22, 2021, the Second Circuit ruled that Halkbank is NOT immune. And see below.
On December 21, Halkbank filed more than 30 pages with the Second Circuit, seeking a stay pending appealing to Supreme Court. Full filing on Patreon here.
Halkbank was indicted for Iran sanctions violations and money laundering in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Jump cut to April 8, 2024 when DOJ in a civil case filed a motion to intervene in and stay, and a request to move the civil case to Judge Berman with the criminal case, in Hughes, et al. v. Halkbank, et all, 23-cv-6481. In that case, 151 Americans are suing for death or injuries by Al Qaeda in Afghanistan from 2012 to 2020 and in Syria 2012 to 2013.
April 8, 2024 letter on Patreon here
On October 22, after going up to the Supreme Court, the Second Circuit ruled "because Halkbank is being prosecuted in the United States for its alleged criminal activity related to its commercial activities as charged in the indictment, we defer to the Executive Branch’s determination, through the U.S. Department of Justice, that Halkbank should not be afforded immunity in this case. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the order of the district court and REMAND for further proceedings consistent with this opinion."
The criminal case is US v. Turkiye Halk Bankasi A.S., 15-cr-867 (Berman) The appeal number is 20-3499
The civil case in which DOJ has moved to intervene, stay and consolidate is
Hughes, et al. v. Halkbank, et all, 23-cv-6481 (Vyskocil)
***
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
