Halkbank case held at US appeals court for alleged violations of US sanctions on Iran

An appeal hearing has been held in the case of Halkbank, which is being held in the United States, for alleged violations of US sanctions on Iran.

Halkbank’s lawyer said in a US appeals court yesterday that the bank had immunity from US law and that the case against it for allegedly violating US sanctions on Iran should be dropped.

Simon Latcovich, one of the bank’s lawyers said in a statement to the Manhattan court of Appeals that the US government does not have the authority to prosecute the bank and that Turkey and Halkbank, a state-owned bank, are “synonymous” with immunity.

The court of Appeal, which heard statements of the parties did not share when it would rule.

Halkbank had denied charges of irregularities in bank transactions, money laundering and conspiracy to breach U.S. sanctions against Iran. U.S. prosecutors had accused the Bank of funneling oil revenue into gold and then into cash to benefit Iran’s interests, and of documenting counterfeit food shipments to launder those revenues.