French banking giant BNP Paribas has filed an appeal in New York seeking to overturn a major 2025 jury verdict that found the institution liable for supporting Sudan’s former Omar al-Bashir regime.
The October ruling concluded that the bank helped sustain the regime through financial services that enabled continued international trade during years of conflict and atrocities in Sudan.
In an 82-page filing, BNP Paribas argued that the federal trial court misinterpreted and misapplied Swiss banking law.
The bank maintains that the transactions at the centre of the case were fully compliant with Swiss regulations at the time.
Lawyers representing the Sudanese plaintiffs rejected the appeal, accusing the bank of repeating arguments already dismissed during earlier proceedings.
The original verdict awarded more than $20 million in damages to three refugees who survived state-linked violence.
Jurors found that BNP Paribas effectively functioned as the regime’s “de facto central bank”, providing critical financial channels during the conflict.
The bank issued letters of credit that allowed Sudan’s government to continue conducting essential foreign trade despite widespread international sanctions and condemnation.
Although the case involves only three plaintiffs, it could open the door to broader litigation from thousands of other alleged victims.
A ruling from the US Court of Appeals is not expected until next year.
