While the United States and Iran heatedly battle over nuclear
disarmament on the world stage, they joined forces last week before the
7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The court heard arguments on Oct. 26 in a case asking whether the Field
Museum in Chicago and the University of Chicago must give up artifacts
purportedly owned by Iran as compensation for victims of a terrorist
bombing allegedly sponsored by Iran. The U.S. government as amicus
curiae sided with Iran in an effort to overturn a trial court ruling
backing the victims' efforts to seize the artifacts.
"The questions of foreign sovereign immunity at issue in this case are
ones of significant interest to the United States," Sharon Swingle, an
attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, said in oral arguments.
"They have an impact not just in this case obviously, but in all
litigation involving foreign states in U.S. courts and also have a
ramification for the treatment of the U.S. in foreign courts abroad."
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