Judiciary Pays EB Patients From Sold American Oil Shipment

TEHRAN -- Iran’s judiciary said on Sunday it had enforced a landmark ruling awarding 2 billion tomans (approximately $19,000 at official rates) in compensation to each of 771 patients with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare genetic skin condition, after a court found the United States responsible for harm caused by sanctions that restricted access to specialized wound dressings and medical supplies.
Judiciary spokesman Seyyed Ali Kazemi, speaking at a conference in Tehran titled “Strong Iran; Epic of Authority, Victory of Justice for Butterfly Patients,” described the case as a significant legal achievement and said political power should never obstruct the pursuit of justice.
“The political power of the opposing side should under no circumstances prevent litigation and the enforcement of justice,” Kazemi said.
He said the ruling marked the first time the rights of children and patients with EB have been vindicated through the courts, with the verdict issued and enforced.
The case was brought by 771 of approximately 1,250 identified EB patients in Iran, who delegated their claims to the EB Patients’ House, a civil society organization, and a lawyer.
The plaintiffs sued the U.S. government and its officials for material, moral and punitive damages resulting from sanctions that disrupted access to specialized dressings—some produced in Sweden—and other medical data-x-items essential to managing their condition.
The court’s judgment, reportedly exceeding 100 pages, drew on documentation from domestic and international bodies, forensic medicine authorities and civil society organizations to establish the impact of sanctions on patients’ treatment. After the verdict became final, enforcement proceedings began.
In the enforcement phase, an oil tanker was seized in the Persian Gulf. After the cargo was verified as belonging to the U.S. government, the oil was unloaded and sold in accordance with legal regulations, with proceeds deposited into a judiciary account.
The EB Patients’ House, under judicial supervision, then distributed payments of 2 billion tomans to each of the 771 plaintiffs.
Kazemi said the compensation

amounts did not fully address the suffering endured by patients and their families, but the case sent a clear message.

“The message of this case is that the judicial officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran stand with all their strength, hear the voices of the oppressed, conduct the necessary investigations, issue rulings and ultimately act to enforce them so that rights are placed in their proper position,” he said.

Nasser Atabati, head of the Tehran Provincial Justice Department, said the judiciary is pursuing similar cases, including for patients with thalassemia and MPS (mucopolysaccharidosis).

“The judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran has numerous cases under serious review and action,” Atabati said. “What will be pursued in the future is the case of MPS patients, whose compensation will be followed in the same manner and through the same process.”

The conference was attended by Atabati, Judge Majid Huseinzadeh of Branch 55 of the International Affairs Court, Seyyed Hamidreza Hashemi Golpayegani, managing director of the EB Patients’ House, lawyers for the patients, and approximately 50 EB patients and their families at the Imam Khomeini Judicial Complex.

EB patients require specialized dressings and continuous care to control wounds and prevent worsening skin damage. Access to these supplies is an essential part of their treatment and daily life, and disruptions to supply can exacerbate their condition.

The case centered not merely on an economic dispute but on the right to health and treatment and the consequences of sanctions on patients’ lives.

Despite the compensation payments, the medical needs of these patients continue. Sustained supply of specialized dressings, access to care services and reduced dependence on foreign sources remain priorities, along with developing domestic production of medical equipment and utilizing knowledge-based companies to reduce supply problems.

Kazemi also invoked the literary symbolism of the butterfly, saying that in Persian literature the butterfly represents burning from love. “We know that EB patients and their families, beyond literary metaphors, have experienced burning and loving under conditions of oppressive sanctions,” he said.

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Judiciary Pays EB Patients From Sold American Oil Shipment