US top court wary over allowing seizure of ancient Persian artifacts
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WASHINGTON - US Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism on Monday over whether ancient Persian artifacts housed in a Chicago museum can be seized to pay for a $71 million court judgment against Iran over its alleged role in a 1997 bombing attack in Jerusalem.
The court heard oral arguments in an appeal by several US citizens injured in the attack of a 2016 ruling by a federal appeals court siding with Iran. The justices will determine when a foreign state's assets may be seized under federal law to pay for damages awarded by US courts to victims of militant attacks.
The long-running Chicago lawsuit arose from a 1997 attack in which three members of the terror group Hamas blew themselves up at a crowded pedestrian mall in Jerusalem, killing five people. Eight US citizens were wounded.
The plaintiffs targeted collections of ancient Persian artifacts including the Persepolis Collection held at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute.
