Court Allows Lawsuit Against Russian Bank in Malaysia Airlines Tragedy

A U.S. appeals court ruled that the family of Quinn Schansman, who died in the Malaysia Airlines MH17 tragedy in 2014, can sue Russia's Sberbank. The bank is accused of financing the group responsible for downing the plane. Sberbank claimed sovereign immunity, an argument rejected by the court.

The U.S. appeals court has authorized the family of an American citizen killed in the MH17 incident over Ukraine to sue Sberbank, Russia's largest bank. The court ruled that Sberbank could not claim sovereign immunity, having allegedly facilitated money transfers to the group implicated in the tragedy.

According to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Sberbank was involved in channeling funds to the Russia-backed Donetsk People's Republic, accused of downing the Malaysian flight with a missile. The ruling rejected Sberbank's reliance on the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act as a defense.

Justice Bianco highlighted that the case falls under commercial activity, contradicting the bank's immunity claims. The Schansman family's legal team hailed the decision and expressed readiness to unveil further evidence in pursuit of justice.

(With inputs from agencies.)