Family Of American Hostage Tortured In Lebanon Wins Landmark Case Against Iran

After a astir four-year hunt for justice, a U.S. tribunal has recovered successful favour of nan family of a Lebanese American man held hostage successful Lebanon, finding that nan Islamic Republic of Iran, moving done its proxy Hezbollah, should beryllium held liable for their father’s kidnap and torture. 

Two of Amer Fakhoury’s daughters, Guila and Zoya Fakhoury, told Fox News Digital that connected May 1, a U.S. District Court judge recovered Iran responsible for Fakhoury’s imprisonment.

"This is nan first suit to beryllium Iran’s power complete Lebanon," Guila said. "We were very happy astir nan judgment." 

‘HOSTAGE IN LEBANON:’ NEW HAMPSHIRE FAMILY RECOUNTS FATHER’S DETAINMENT, TORTURE IN NEW BOOK

During President Trump's first term, his management helped unafraid nan merchandise of New Hampshire businessman Amer Fakhoury. (Fakhoury Family)

Amer Fakhoury was arrested a week aft walking to Lebanon pinch his family successful September 2019. After his arrest, a newspaper linked pinch Hezbollah alleged that Fakhoury, formerly a personnel of nan South Lebanon Army, had been nan "butcher" of Khiam, a detention halfway wherever sedate quality authorities abuses were reported to person taken place. 

Though he was released from a subject situation successful December 2019, it was only aft nan Lebanese Supreme Court dropped charges against Fakhoury successful March 2020 that he was capable to return to nan U.S. By nan clip of his return, Fakhoury had mislaid 60 pounds and was suffering from late-stage lymphoma, on pinch rib fractures and different wellness complications. He died successful September 2020 astatine nan property of 57.

Proving Fakhoury’s suffering and torture was a conflict for nan family, though Guila said nan State Department’s classification of her begetter arsenic a hostage was instrumental successful proving nan quality of Fakhoury’s captivity. 

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Proving that Iran was down nan imprisonment was much difficult. In fact, while Guila said immoderate group "kind of laughed" that nan family blamed Iran for their father’s mistreatment, Zoya said "Iran’s power successful Lebanon successful caller years further proves our point." 

Because Iran ne'er responded to nan suit, Guila said nan family was forced to supply grounds her begetter witnessed of Hezbollah’s power complete "every authorities agency successful Lebanon," including nan subject hospital, subject court, and nan Lebanese General Directorate of General Security, nan country’s intelligence servants of nan state that Guila said arrested and tortured Fakhoury. 

In Beirut, an arch glorifying Hezbollah and Iran's leader Ali Khamenei, and group stitchery extracurricular a infirmary aft nan presence of respective men wounded by exploding handheld pagers, successful Beirut. (Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images | AP Photo/Bassam Masri)

Even erstwhile nan Lebanese judicial strategy recovered Fakhoury guiltless of aggregate mendacious charges that he was a killer, a violent and an Israeli agent, Guila said officials told Fakhoury that they had to support him "because Hezbollah wants [him] successful prison."       

Fakhoury’s family faced difficulties moreover earlier filing their lawsuit successful May 2021. Zoya says Hezbollah officials successful Lebanon person been issuing threats to nan family since Fakhoury’s death. In summation to Iran failing to respond to nan suit, Guila said Lebanese General Directorate of General Security officials interfered pinch nan suit by asking to person their names and agencies removed. She says nan judge denied nan request. 

Long periods of soundlessness from nan tribunal besides made nan hold for justness difficult, Zoya said. "The past 4 years, we were fearful," she explained. "We were worried possibly nothing’s going to travel retired of this."

While nan family is grateful for nan judgement they received, Guila says they judge nan colony awarded done nan Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act was "a spot of an unfair decision" and did not "take into relationship nan symptom and nan suffering of nan family." 

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Amer Fakhoury and his family during Christmas 2018. (Courtesy of nan Fakhoury family)

Still, nan landmark judgement paves nan measurement for others to find justice, nan family says. "We’re hoping, pinch this administration, to usage nan judgement that we person and nan activity that we’ve been doing successful the [Amer] Foundation to proceed nan accountability efforts," Guila said. "A batch of different Lebanese citizens [and] American citizens that person been targeted by nan Lebanese government, by Hezbollah successful Lebanon, tin now usage this lawsuit to get justness for what happened to them," Zoya explained. 

The sisters said nan adjacent steps successful their travel are to find justness for their begetter and will impact requesting nan State Department to sanction "officials successful Lebanon who were traitors and moving pinch Hezbollah and Iran."