The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) made an announcement today, stating that Special Master Mary Patrice Brown has given authorization for payments amounting to a total of $1.035 billion from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (the Fund). These payments will be made to almost 19,000 victims of state-sponsored terrorism.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) states that Congress established the Fund, and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, under the guidance of the Special Master, administers it.
The department explained that the Fund has distributed over $6 billion to victims and their families through four rounds of distributions and one round of lump sum catch-up payments since its inception.
According to the Department of Justice, the recent distribution of funds has pushed the total authorized payments to over $7 billion.
The department has announced today that they will evenly split the $1.035 billion allocation. Half of the funds, $517.5 million, will be designated for 9/11-related claimants, while the other half will go to non-9/11-related claimants.
The DOJ clarified that the funding for the distributions is sourced from congressional appropriations. This includes an initial $1 billion, as well as additional appropriations for lump sum payments.
In 2024, the Fund acknowledged the addition of over 4,500 new claimants, which has increased the total number of eligible claimants to over 20,000, as mentioned by the department.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), unpaid claims currently surpass $120 billion and are projected to increase as more individuals affected by state-sponsored terrorism file for compensation.
Brown acknowledges that while the distributed funds are substantial, they can never fully compensate those affected by acts of international terrorism for the immense loss and trauma they have endured.
Many victims have expressed that their main concern is not about the financial compensation they receive, but rather about seeking justice.