US Supreme Court Denies Sberbank Appeal in MH17 Terrorism Lawsuit

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal by Russia's Sberbank, allowing a lawsuit filed under the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act to proceed. The lawsuit, brought by the family of Quinn Schansman, an American victim of the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine, alleges that Sberbank funneled money through the U.S. banking system to the Donetsk People's Republic, a Russia-backed separatist group responsible for the missile strike. Lower courts ruled that Sberbank is not entitled to sovereign immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act because its activities fall under the commercial activity exception. This legal precedent holds Russian commercial entities accountable in U.S. courts for supporting terrorism connected to Russia's aggression, signaling that financiers of such groups cannot avoid responsibility. Sberbank argued that the lawsuit could provoke international retaliation and expose the U.S. to similar claims, but these concerns were rejected by the courts. Ukrainian officials emphasize that the case is a crucial test for international law and accountability for Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine.