FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY AS REMEDY

GJG promotes financial accountability and advocates for using, where possible, assets belonging to perpetrators and enablers of international crimes to fund compensation for the survivors. In the framework of these efforts, GJG supported the creation of the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (the “USVSST Fund”).

​

The Fund was established in 2015 to provide compensation to those victims who hold a final judgment issued by a United States District Court awarding the applicant compensatory damages arising from acts of international terrorism. The Fund is administered by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, which deposits certain forfeiture proceeds, penalties and fines resulting from prohibited transactions with state sponsors of terrorism.

​

Since 2017, the USVSST Fund has compensated thousands of U.S. survivors of international acts of terrorism and their families, including the Iran hostages held from 1979 to 1981 and their spouses and children, victims of the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, the attack on the U.S.S. Cole, 9/11 victims, and other international terrorist incidents. The Fund continues to accept applications and to collect deposits for future payments.

​

GJG continues advocating for the creation of appropriate mechanisms to compensate the victims of international crimes and promoting financial accountability for those who profit financially from these abuses, whether directly or indirectly.