85 Victims of Hezbollah Terrorist Rocket Attacks File Unprecedented Civil Suit Against Iran's Central Bank and Iranian Commercial Banks in D.C. Court

WASHINGTON, February 18, 2010 - Eighty five American, Israeli and Canadian victims of Hezbollah rocket
attacks have filed an unprecedented lawsuit against the Central Bank of Iran
("CBI"), Bank Saderat Iran of Teheran and Bank Saderat, PLC of London. The
suit, Kaplan v. Central Bank of Iran, was filed in federal court in
Washington, D.C. and seeks US$1 billion in compensatory damages and an
unspecified sum of punitive damages.

The plaintiffs, whose family members were killed or who were themselves
injured by rockets fired at Israel by Hezbollah between July 12 and August
14, 2006, allege that the banks, which are controlled by the Iranian
government, provided Hezbollah with over US$50 million in financial support
in the years prior to the attacks with the specific intent of facilitating
Hezbollah terrorist attacks against American and Israeli targets. The
plaintiffs assert that Hezbollah used the funds transferred by the Iranian
banks to prepare for and carry out the rocket barrage which it rained on
Israeli cities.

The plaintiffs rest their claims in part on an explicit October 25, 2007
finding by the U.S. Treasury that between 2001 and 2006 Bank Saderat
transferred funds from the CBI via Bank Saderat, PLC in London to Hezbollah
to support acts of terrorism. See
www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp644.htm.

This is the first lawsuit brought by terror victims against the Iranian
banking system.

The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Robert J. Tolchin Esq. of New
York, and Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, Esq. of Israel.

Attorney Darshan-Leitner stated that: "CBI and Bank Saderat are major
financial conduits between Iran and Hezbollah. Without the funds transferred
by these banks, Hezbollah would have been unable to maintain its
infrastructure, train its terrorist members or carry out the rocket attacks.
These banks, which operate freely in Europe, intentionally aided and abetted
Hezbollah terrorism and are responsible for the injuries suffered by the
victims of these attacks. This is the first lawsuit to target the Iranian
banks and prove they provide massive financing to Hezbollah."

Attorney Robert Tolchin: "In light of the explicit findings by the U.S.
Treasury, we expect that proving liability in this case will present no
difficulties."

A copy of the complaint is available here:
www.israellawcenter.org/images/pdf2/Kaplan%20vs.%20Central%20Bank%20of%20Iran.pdf
.

    For more information please contact:
    Nitsana Darshan-Leitner (US) +1-212-591-0073, (Israel) +972-523837020
    Email: nitsanad@zahav.net.il

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, (US) +1-212-591-0073, (Israel) +972-523837020, nitsanad at zahav.net.il