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US civil lawsuit against Kurdistan Region leaders (Revend et al. v. Barzani et al., US District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 1:24-cv-00278), since 2024

In January 2024 the Kurdistan Victims Fund and Maki Revend sued the Kurdistan Regional Government, KDP president Masoud Barzani, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, Waysi Barzani and others, 52 defendants in all, in the US District Court in Washington. The complaint alleges torture, extrajudicial killing and support for terrorism by what it calls the 'Barzani Continuing Criminal Enterprise', and also alleges diversion of oil revenue, smuggling and money laundering, mostly on anonymous sources; it demands $9bn under each of two laws. These are the plaintiffs' allegations, not findings. The court dismissed two amended versions, held on 9 May 2025 that the Fund lacked standing, and allowed a final complaint by two individual plaintiffs against 19 defendants, no longer including the KRG. In April 2026 it fined the plaintiffs' lawyers $100,000 over baseless claims against a defence lawyer. A motion by the Barzani defendants to dismiss, and a request to dismiss the whole case as a sanction, were pending as of August 2026.

Period
From January 2024 to August 2026
Sector
Kurdistan RegionAllegations in a foreign civil court
Kind of case
Civil lawsuit, not yet decided (allegations)
Jurisdiction
United States (District of Columbia court)

How the money moved, according to the sources

This account is the one given by the sources listed on this page. It is not the finding of a court.

Allegations only: diversion of oil revenue, smuggling, money laundering, counterfeiting, violence against critics.

What happened

Pending. Two amended complaints dismissed (the second on 9 May 2025); the Fund held to lack standing; plaintiffs' counsel sanctioned $100,000 (1 April 2026, under appeal, D.C. Cir. 26-7051); motions to dismiss pending; no finding on any allegation.

Open questions

  • Whether the case survives the pending motions; whether any of the money allegations is supported by documents; how the related DOJ forfeiture action in California (2026) and a parallel New York suit bear on it.

People and companies

The table lists everyone this case names, with their legal status on the date shown. A status in this case does not carry over to any other case, and an accusation is not a conviction. How to read the status.
People and companies
NameRole in the caseLegal statusDetailAs of
Masoud Barzani
مسعود بارزاني
President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party; former President of the Kurdistan Region (as the complaint describes him)Not charged as of the date of writingNot charged as of the date of writing. Named as a defendant in a US civil lawsuit filed in January 2024 (US District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 1:24-cv-00278) that alleges torture, extrajudicial killing and support for terrorism; these are the plaintiffs' allegations, not findings. The court dismissed two earlier versions of the complaint (the second on 9 May 2025); a motion by the Barzani defendants to dismiss the current one was pending as of August 2026.30 September 2026
Masrour Barzani
مسرور بارزاني
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (as the complaint describes him)Not charged as of the date of writingNot charged as of the date of writing. Named as a defendant in a US civil lawsuit filed in January 2024 (US District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 1:24-cv-00278) that alleges torture, extrajudicial killing and support for terrorism; these are the plaintiffs' allegations, not findings. The court dismissed two earlier versions of the complaint (the second on 9 May 2025); a motion by the Barzani defendants to dismiss the current one was pending as of August 2026.30 September 2026
Waysi Barzani
ويسي بارزاني
Head of the KRG's intelligence and security agency and counter-terrorism (as the complaint describes him)Not charged as of the date of writingNot charged as of the date of writing. Named as a defendant in a US civil lawsuit filed in January 2024 (US District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 1:24-cv-00278) that alleges torture, extrajudicial killing and support for terrorism; these are the plaintiffs' allegations, not findings. The court dismissed two earlier versions of the complaint (the second on 9 May 2025); a motion by the Barzani defendants to dismiss the current one was pending as of August 2026.30 September 2026

Sources

These are the documents on which this case rests. Each quote is given in the language of the document.
  1. US District Court for the District of Columbia (Judge Randolph D. Moss): Memorandum Opinion and Order, Dkt. 839 May 2025Court opinionTier A

    Revend et al. v. Kurdistan Regional Government et al.: dismissal of the second amended complaint

    Because the relief Plaintiffs seek “can[not] be awarded without ‘individualized proof,’” Kurdistan Victims Fund lacks associational standing.
    Original
  2. US District Court for the District of Columbia: docket (CourtListener RECAP) and Dkt. 14214 August 2026Court docketTier A

    Revend et al. v. Aziz et al., docket 68208106 (entries to 14 August 2026)

    Plaintiffs’ counsel, Tate, Bywater, Fuller, Mickelsen & Tull, PLC, shall pay a sum of $100,000 as sanctions to Defendant Joe R. Reeder, to be paid on or before April 30, 2026.
    Original
  3. US District Court for the District of Columbia: plaintiffs' complaint (Dkt. 1)30 January 2024Court filing: plaintiffs' allegations, not findingsTier B

    Kurdistan Victims Fund et al. v. Kurdistan Regional Government et al., No. 1:24-cv-00278, Complaint

    The Barzani Continuing Criminal Enterprise is an association-in-fact within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 1961(4)
    Original

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