NEW YORK, Feb 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court ruled on Tuesday that the family of an American killed in the 2014 Malaysian Airlines plane crash in Ukraine can sue Russia's largest bank for allegedly funding the group responsible for downing the aircraft.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan unanimously decided that Sberbank, accused of channeling financial support to the Russia-backed separatist group Donetsk People's Republic through the U.S. banking system, is not protected by sovereign immunity.
Quinn Schansman, 18 at the time of the crash on July 17, 2014, was traveling on Malaysian flight MH17 intended for a family vacation when it was shot down by a missile over territory controlled by the DPR, claiming all 298 lives.
The lawsuit, filed in April 2019 by Schansman's family, targets Sberbank and other entities for allegedly enabling transactions with the DPR.
The court dismissed Sberbank's claim of immunity as a state agency, emphasizing that its financial activities were deemed commercial and not shielded by the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.
Jenner & Block, representing the family, applauded the court's ruling and expressed determination to uncover further evidence of Sberbank's involvement in the case.