Yousef v. Samantar

Yousef and other Somali plaintiffs sued Samantar (defendant), a former official under Somalia's Barre regime, for torture allegedly committed while carrying out official government policy, under the Torture Victim Protection Act and the Alien Tort Statute. The district court held Samantar immune under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) as a government official sued for official-capacity conduct.

Whether individuals who are officials in a foreign government are eligible for immunity from suit under the FSIA for actions taken in their official capacities.