Page:Bank Markazi v. Peterson SCOTUS slip opinion.pdf/10

Cite as: 578 U. S. ____ (2016)

Opinion of the Court basis for Iran’s liability to each suitor, the court entered judgments by default. See, e.g., Peterson v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 264 F.Supp. 2d 46, 49 (2003). The majority of respondents sought redress for injuries suffered in connection with the 1983 bombing of the U. S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. App. to Pet. for Cert. 21a. “Together, [respondents] have obtained billions of dollars in judgments against Iran, the vast majority of which remain unpaid.” Id., at 53a. The validity of those judgments is not in dispute. Id., at 55a.

To enforce their judgments, the 16 groups of respondents first registered them in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. See 28 U.S.C. §1963 (“A judgment...may be registered...in any other district.... A judgment so registered shall have the same effect as a judgment of the district court of the district where registered and may be enforced in like manner.”). They then moved under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 69 for turnover of about $1.75 billion in bond