Families of 9/11 victims file lawsuit against Saudi Arabia

Families of victims of the September 11 attacks in the United States have re-launched a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia for allegedly providing compensation to the attackers.

The claim was filed under the 2016 Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which was passed into law last September by the US Congress after it was vetoed by then president Barack Obama.

The case is being handled by New York-based Kreindler & Kreindler, according to the lawsuit document.

JASTA allows survivors of terror attacks and relatives of victims to pursue cases against foreign governments in US federal courts, and demand compensation if those governments are found responsible for such attacks on US land. 

Some of victims' families are seeking “relief in the form of an award or awards of monetary damages for personal injury, wrongful death, all recoverable losses” from the Saudi government, the document said.

Charges that are being brought under the lawsuit include funding terrorist training camps used to train the 19 hijackers behind 9/11. The Saudi government is also being accused of providing material and logistical support to Al Qaeda, and facilitating the attacks.

Saudi Arabia, which has denied any role in the 2001 attacks, has raised strong objections to JASTA.

Saudi foreign minister Adel Al-Jubeir tried to persuade US lawmakers to amend the law, during his visit to the country last year.