No. 23-867October Term 2024Decided Feb 21, 2025
Republic of Hungary, et al., Petitioners v. Rosalie Simon, et al.
This case involves Holocaust survivors suing the Hungarian government for property confiscated during World War II, relying on the expropriation exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA).
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Feb 21, 2025
- What it's about
This case involves Holocaust survivors suing the Hungarian government for property confiscated during World War II, relying on the expropriation exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA). The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that merely alleging that proceeds from seized property were commingled with general government funds is insufficient to establish the required commercial connection to the United States.
Question presented
1. Does historical commingling of assets suffice to establish that proceeds of seized property have a commercial nexus with the United States under the expropriation exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act? 2. Must a plaintiff make out a valid claim that an exception to the FSIA applies at the pleading stage, rather than merely raising a plausible inference? 3. Does a sovereign defendant bear the burden of producing evidence to affirmatively disprove that the proceeds of property taken in violation of international law have a commercial nexus with the United States under the expropriation exception to the FSIA?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit / Decision released Feb 21, 2025
- Area
Business and Regulation
Documents
Related cases




Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Mar 30, 2026
- Method
- Methodology
Primary materials9
Supreme Court docket 23-867
docket | Mar 30, 2026
Primary case document
Supreme Court document | Mar 30, 2026
CourtListener docket record
docket | Mar 30, 2026
Questions Presented
brief | Mar 8, 2026
opinion
opinion | Feb 21, 2025
Hungary
opinion | Feb 21, 2025
Oral Arguments - Hungary
audio | Dec 3, 2024
Petition
brief | Feb 7, 2024
Lower Court Orders/Opinions
order | Dec 21, 2023