In this report, we bring you up to date on the lawsuit ofthe Kurdish Victims Fund against the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, and others in the United States District Court of Washington DC.  Following our most recent report, many have asked if Masrour Barzani will be granted immunity by U.S. courts.  This is a tactic to avoid accountability with the U.S. courts, and it will not succeed.

While a foreign government official may be granted immunity by U.S. courts for lawful official acts, it is very clear U.S. law does not authorize courts to grant immunity for criminal acts – and this legal action is all about innumerable alleged criminal acts by Mr. Barzani and his regime.  This case is completely legally different from the small case Shnyar case in the U.S. state of Virginia against Masrour Barzani – and this case will not be dismissed.

Only one motion has been filed so far by the Barzani Defendants with the United States Courts in this legal matter.  It was filed by defense attorney Joe R. Reeder of the Washington DC law firm of Greenburg Traurig.  Attorney Reeder is a former high official of the United States Government who according to U.S. federal government and KRG documentsnow in the possession of the Kurdish Victims Fund has represented the Barzani’s for several years as a lawyer and lobbyist.

           In the United States District Court, attorney Reeder along with Barzani attorney Jonathon Moore are now named as additional defendants and criminal co-conspirators in the many crimes of the Barzani Continuing Criminal Enterprise.   According to the United States Supreme Court, the crimes of which they are accused are a violation of many major U.S. laws including the significant USA Patriot Act, which the U.S. Department of Justice says is about preserving the lives and liberty of the American people.

The Kurdish Victims Fund lawyers point out to the court that in Barzani’s motion before the court, attorney Reeder deliberately furthered the deceptive pattern of disinformation, fabrications, and untruths of Defendant Masrour Barzani, Barzani family members and family members by marriage, and the Barzani Continuing Criminal Enterprise and its agents and representatives.The KVF points out for the Court thatAttorney Reeder made numerous representations which are false, misleading, malicious, and which directly libel and slander especially victim Maki Revend.  The United States Supreme Court says this“constitutes a breach of professional ethics and invites disrespect for the integrity of the court,” and violates Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Lawyers for the Kurdish Victims Fund have told the court that attorney Reeder’s deliberate efforts to mask or hide the real cause of action, andto say the court has no jurisdiction, and to falsely paint and distort the case as seeking political redress,are a blatant and false mischaracterization – and not grounded in fact.  They havealso pointed out to the court that to wrongly portray the case as a U.S. foreign policy issuerather than a case about crimes, which this is, is an improper and misleading attempt to influence the court.

The KVF lawyers informed the court this very clearly reflects bad faith by Barzani’s attorneys.

Under United States law, foreign political cases are the jurisdiction of the State Department, not the courts.  However, this case is unmistakably not a political case – this is a case alleging vastglobal crimes.As they have before, Barzani’s Washington DC lawyers are attempting this diversion, but legal sources advise the Kurdish Victims Fund this misleading move will failthis time as a matter of law.  Over one hundred years ago the United States Supreme Court clearly ruled that all questions involving foreign relations are not necessarily political questions, and that U.S. courts have absolute jurisdiction.  Second, there is no immunity for crimes – Mr. Barzani cannot hide.

           In naming attorneys Reeder and Moore as criminal co-conspirators, the KVF lawyers reminded the court that the United States Supreme Court has ruled that under no circumstances may an attorney be part of giving aid to known untruths.  KVF lawyers have alleged to the court that Barzani’s attorney Reeder insulted the integrity of the Court by knowingly presenting false statements and demonstrating an appalling and tragic absence of credibility – and that Barzani’s attorney Reeder deliberately disregarded the truth and did not conform to any code of legal ethics. 

           Attorneys for the Kurdish Victims Fund have pointed out to the court that Barzani’s attorney Reeder knows better, and knows communication with the Court shall contain all information necessary to make the communication not misleading and shall not contain any false or misleading statement or otherwise operate to deceive the court.  KVF lawyers informed the court this conscious indifference to law perpetuates the Barzani defendants’ corrupt and continuous pattern of diverting attention away from their criminal behavior and acting with a pervasive pattern of deliberate indifference to and above the system’s rules.  Under U.S. law, this pattern of constitutional violations and conduct isstrictly prohibited.

The United States Supreme Court has said that the law depends upon the integrity of the courts, and the KDF is pointing out the many untruths voiced to the courtand to the United States Government by attorneys and agents for the Barzani Continuing Criminal Enterprise.

The KVF has also made it clear to the United States Court that Nechirvan Barzani is not part of this massive United States lawsuit.