“It’s a very politically appealing position,” he said on Tuesday during a webinar hosted by Shurat HaDin , an Israeli civil rights organization established to defend the victims of terrorist attacks.
Multiple states, including California, Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Missouri, have already filed suit in federal courts against China, seeking damages for victims who have died, become ill or lost jobs. They argue that victims were directly harmed by Beijing’s failure to share information and prevent the spread of the disease outside its borders, a charge Chinese state media has already denounced.
Bolton on Tuesday said he sympathized with families and victims, and argued that China needs to be held accountable. “Governments should put together something analogous to ‘The Black Book of Communism,’” he said. “I think we need a ‘Black Book of Coronavirus.’” He warned that there would be further barriers, including securing the evidence and testimony necessary for civil lawsuits. Given China’s lack of transparency thus far, it’s unlikely they’ll provide evidence for court proceedings, Bolton argued. And even if a court case concludes with a finding against China, getting Beijing to pay up would be next to impossible, he said.
In an op-ed published in the Washington Post, Bellinger cited the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act passed in 2016, which allows families of victims of the 9/11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia. He noted how that law, which some lawmakers feared could have unintended consequences, is similar in some ways to proposed legislation that would give victims of the coronavirus pandemic an avenue to sue China for damages.
but it made the Chinese yuck yuck big time.