Families of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are urging a federal appeals court to compel the U.S. government to release documents they contend implicate the Saudi Arabian government in the plot. The families argue these documents could provide evidence of Saudi Arabia's involvement in the hijacking of airplanes that were crashed into New York and Washington D.C.
During a hearing Wednesday before a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, attorneys for the families argued their case should be allowed to proceed. The families seek to continue pursuing evidence regarding the Kingdom's alleged role in the attacks.
"This was a very good day for us," said Terry Strada, whose husband was killed in the attacks. "The judges were not buying what [Saudi Arabia] were selling."
The Saudi government is seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed, asserting sovereign immunity. This claim faces a law enacted nearly a decade ago, intended to allow victims of terrorism to sue alleged state sponsors.
The appellate judges focused their questioning on jurisdictional matters rather than the core allegations of Saudi support for the hijackers. Lawyers involved in the case anticipate a ruling in early 2027.
If the court rules in favor of the families, their lawsuit could move toward a trial as early as next year, potentially opening avenues to uncover further evidence about the Kingdom's connection to the attacks.
"Give us our trial ... we want our day in court,” said Brett Eagleson, who lost his father on 9/11. "What you saw today is Saudi Arabia grasping at straws."
Strada and Eagleson have reiterated their calls for the U.S. government to hold Saudi Arabia accountable.
While some past presidents attended the 25th-anniversary commemoration in New York, many 9/11 family members have expressed frustration with successive administrations for withholding documents. Strada stated during the ceremony, "Administration after administration, including leaders in front of us here today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families."
Evidence previously released as part of the lawsuit includes FBI records that families cite as showing Omar al Bayoumi, a Saudi national living in California, was a Saudi intelligence asset. According to the families' lawsuit, Bayoumi assisted at least two of the hijackers by helping them find an apartment and providing funds to open bank accounts.
The FBI has identified many of the 9/11 hijackers as Saudi nationals, with others originating from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Lebanon.
The Saudi government has consistently denied any involvement in the 9/11 attacks, stating in court that it remains "an ally of the United States [and] a sworn enemy of Al Qaeda."