The US District Court for the District of Columbia has entered Judgment against the Syrian Arab Republic (“Syria”), ordering Syria, as a designated State Sponsor of Terrorism, to pay $108 million in compensatory and punitive damages to Chaim Winternitz and his family as a result of the March 2016 suicide bombing at the Brussels Airport carried out by The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (more commonly known as “ISIS”), which caused serious injuries to Mr. Winternitz. The victims are represented by the Washington, DC law firm Heideman Nudelman & Kalik, P.C., which has represented American victims of terror for two decades and concentrates in civil counter-terror litigation.
The Honorable Timothy J. Kelly of the US District Court for the District of Columbia awarded the damages to Mr. Winternitz, and members of his family, including his daughter who was also present in the airport that day. The Court found that Syria was liable for the attack due to the material support it provided to ISIS. ISIS, which claimed responsibility for the attack, has long been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US government.
In addition to the compensatory damages awarded to each of the Plaintiffs, the Court also awarded punitive damages. “The targeted bombing of a crowded airport was unconscionable,” stated Judge Kelly, who went on to find “the harm it caused was substantial, the need to deter terrorism is high, and Syria is a wealthy sovereign.”
“The ruling is an important victory for the Winternitz family who suffered tremendously as a result of the Syria-sponsored attack upon the Brussels Airport,” said Richard D. Heideman, Senior Counsel of Heideman Nudelman & Kalik PC. “It is crucially important to seek to hold sponsors of terror legally accountable and this judgment speaks loudly on behalf of victims of terror, holds Syria accountable for its continued support of terror attacks and terror organizations and, most importantly, provides some measure of justice for these victims.”
About Heideman Nudelman & Kalik, P.C.
The law firm of Heideman Nudelman & Kalik, P.C. (www.HNKlaw.com), based in Washington, DC, is a global firm with affiliates in various parts of the world. Richard D. Heideman, Noel J. Nudelman, Tracy R. Kalik and other members, associates and affiliates of the firm have extensive experience in complex litigation. The firm has served as lead counsel in numerous cases on behalf of victims of terror and their family members who have been killed or injured in terrorist attacks throughout the world. The firm has successfully brought cases against Libya, the Syrian Arab Republic, The Islamic Republic of Iran, the PA/PLO, Arab Bank plc and others accused of funding or providing material support for terror and continues committed to seeking justice on behalf of Americans who have suffered at the hands of terrorists, their sponsors, supporters and funders.
Richard D. Heideman, Senior Counsel of Heideman Nudelman & Kalik, P.C., is the author of the recently published The Bloody Price of Freedom (Gefen Publishing House, 2021) and is available for interviews and comments on matters relating to the ongoing battle against terror and the important use of the American legal system in pursuit of justice.
For further information, contact:
Richard D. Heideman, Senior Counsel, Heideman Nudelman & Kalik, P.C.
Tel: 202 463-8018
Email: rdheideman@hnklaw.com