US Court Orders Lebanese Ex-Minister to Pay $35M in Torture and Fraud Case

· Investigations · United States · Lebanon

A U.S. district court found four Lebanese defendants liable for fraud, torture and civil conspiracy in the 2019 detention of Elie and Lara Samaha, and ordered a former Lebanese minister to pay $35 million. The couple say they were held in an underground military prison after returning to Lebanon to settle a family dispute. The ruling is a civil judgment delivered in a U.S. court rather than a criminal conviction. It adds to a pattern of plaintiffs using American courts to pursue accountability for abuses abroad, and puts a significant monetary figure on the case.

Why it matters：Civil suits in U.S. courts are becoming a channel for accountability where local justice is seen as unavailable, and large judgments can expose officials' overseas assets.

Key points

  • Four Lebanese defendants were found liable for fraud, torture and civil conspiracy.
  • A former minister was ordered to pay $35 million.
  • The case concerns the 2019 detention of Elie and Lara Samaha.

Sources (original reporting)

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