Torture victims won a victory Tuesday when the Supreme Court ruled that federal law does not automatically protect ex-officials of foreign governments from lawsuits over the abuse.
In a 9-0 ruling, the high court rejected a claim of immunity from former Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Samantar. Although the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 shields other countries from being sued in American courts, it does not protect former officials of those states, the justices said.
Citing the words of Congress, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote, “There is nothing to suggest we should read ‘foreign state’ … to include an official acting on behalf of the foreign state.”
Full story: Supreme Court rejects former Somalia Prime Minister Samantar’s immunity claim – latimes.com