On 9 January, the Kurdistan Victims Association filed a new lawsuit against the Barzani family in the District of Columbia Court on behalf of some victims, including Shahwan Abdulrahman, Maki Rewend and US citizen John Does.

The new application filed against the Barzani family, identified as the "Barzani Crime Organization (BCE)," has file number 1:24-cv-00278-RDM.

Analyst Michael Rubin evaluated the new application against the "Barzani Crime Organization" for ANF, saying that he reviewed the complaint filed with the District of Columbia Court and adding that "Masrour Barzani ​​is in big trouble."

Have you had a chance to examine the case file?

I have reviewed the complaint and Masrour is in deep trouble.

As a U.S. citizen, what is your interpretation of the plaintiffs' allegations against Barzanis?

Masrour lied or simply did not understand what happened when the plaintiffs had previously withdrawn their suit. They had not given up, but had instead narrowed the suit in a way the judge instructed to make it more airtight and bypass any issues with regard to sovereign immunity. The Kurdistan Regional Government is not on trial; rather, Masrour is. And he cannot claim immunity for crimes that were not part of the state, such as kidnapping and murder.

Masrour may think he can still get the lawsuit dismissed, but that will be tough. While others have sued Masrour, they did so in Virginia. The court this case is filed in has set precedents that the plaintiffs cite. Masrour essentially hopes the court will dismiss its own precedents, but that will not happen.

The case also names Joe Reeder, Masrour's lawyer. That is highly irregular, but appears based on documentary evidence that Reeder engaged in fraud and other crimes. Masrour now needs to question his lawyer's motives: Is Reeder trying to get Masrour off, or is Reeder trying to get Reeder off?

What measures do you think the U.S. should take against the Barzanis in the face of these allegations?

The charges are extremely well documented. The next step will be in court when Masrour and other defendants will be forced to testify. They do not know all the documents that the prosecution will have, but it is clear that the prosecution has all the secret documents and agreements that Barzani made with his money man and confidant Sarwar Pedawi. I do not know why Pedawi gave these documents away, but they are an intelligence coup about how Masoud, Masrour, Waysi and the rest of the Barzani mafia really work.

For decades, many Kurds have dismissed accusations against the Barzanis by saying there is no proof. Well, the proof is now here and, unless Masrour settles the case before trial, every Kurd is going to have a look at the secret accounts and bank books that the Barzanis kept that detail billions of dollars in stolen money. When I look over the defendants, I wonder how many will strike their own deals and turn on Masrour in order to protect themselves.

Considering that U.S. aid to the Kurdistan Regional Government is distributed by the Barzanis in the Kurdistan Region, what measures do you think the US should take? 

I hope Masrour is learning Russian, because this could end either in an American prison or with him following Bashar al-Assad into humiliating exile."