A US FEDERAL court in New York had dismissed Greek shipping tycoon Victor Restis's defamation case against an anti-nuclear-Iran NGO after a plea was entered that the case would endanger national security, reports the Jerusalem Post.
The NGO, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), was founded in 2008 by US Ambassador Mark Wallace, the late US Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, former CIA director Jim Woolsey and Middle East expert Dennis Ross.
UANI includes a wide range of ex-CIA, White House and diplomatic officials, including the former top Obama administration official on arms control, Gary Samore.
Said UANI lawyer Lee Wolosky: "We welcome today's federal court decision dismissing Mr Restis's lawsuit in its entirety. Since it’s filing we have consistently maintained that Mr Restis's suit was meritless."
Mr Restis's Athens-based shipmanager Enterprises Shipping & Trading has been accused illegal exploitation of Iranian oil in violation of sanctions in its campaign to end corporate support for the Iran, and initiated a "name and shame" attack by issuing a public letter, which is the substance of his law suit.
Intervening federal government lawyers told the court that even allowing pretrial discovery, or allowing Mr Restis to investigate UANI evidence would violate US national security, adding that "in this case plaintiffs not only do not get their day in court, and cannot be told why".
The court said Mr Restis's lawyers correctly explained the differences in several post-9/11 cases cited, it would save the case from being dismissed.
WORLD SHIPPING
01 April 2015 - 20:24
US court gives CIA-linked NGO licence to libel Greek shipping tycoon
A US FEDERAL court in New York had dismissed Greek shipping tycoon Victor Restis's defamation case against an anti-nuclear-Iran NGO after a plea was entered that the case would endanger national security, reports the Jerusalem Post.
WORLD SHIPPING
01 April 2015 - 20:24
US court gives CIA-linked NGO licence to libel Greek shipping tycoon
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