Samantar v. Yousuf

Mohamed Ali Samantar (defendant), Somalia's former Minister of Defense and Prime Minister, oversaw a military that tortured and killed the plaintiffs or their relatives; after relocating to the United States, he was sued by the plaintiffs, and he claimed immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (the Act). The court of appeals held the Act did not govern Samantar's claim of immunity, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.