Nepalis’ Iraq murder case in US court
PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA
KATHMANDU, Dec 30 – The hearing on a human trafficking case filed against prominent U.S. military contractor Kellogg Brown and Root Inc. (KBR) operating in Iraq on behalf of families of 12 Nepalis killed in Iraq in 2004 will begin on January 12 next year at the District Court of California, Los Angeles.
The US based law firm Cohen Milstein, which has been fighting against the wrongdoings of big corporations, had filed a lawsuit on August 27 this year with the help of Buddhi Prasad Gurung as witness.
Gurung was in another car and was thus not kidnapped by an Iraqi insurgent group, while 12 others were kidnapped and subsequently killed.
Cohen Milstein Attorney Mathew K. Handley who also worked as a peace corps volunteer in Nepal from 1997 to 1999, said on Monday that the court would decide after the hearing whether the case could be termed “human trafficking”.
“If the court decides the case can qualify as human trafficking, it will move ahead,” he said at a press meet adding, “Otherwise, the case will be scrapped.”
It is the first time Nepali citizens have sought protection of their human rights in a U.S. court, according to him.
His law firm has claimed in its lawsuit that KBR was involved in human trafficking as the 13 men were in the process of being transported to a U.S. military base in Iraq against their will. It has been argued in the lawsuit that they were transported to Iraq after their passports were confiscated in Jordan by its Jordan based sub-contractor Daoud and Partner before they were taken to Iraq.
However, on November 22, KBR asked the court to dismiss the complaint arguing that the Nepali men were not deceived and trafficked. Forced labour and involuntary servitude are not violations of international law, according to KBR argument. (Click HERE for entire article)
Is the law firm a member of the Peace Corps Human Trafficking Task Force? Do they work with Peace Corps law enforcement on human trafficker prosecutions?
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I don’t know. But I am telling you what. Someone needs to get into Iraq and into the US camps and see how these people are living. It’s disgusting! Hopefully someone will pursue this!