Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that she is preparing to sue China to hold the nation accountable for the deaths, illnesses, and economic losses caused by the coronavirus.
“Too many Mississippians have suffered as a result of China’s cover-up,” said Fitch. “They must not be allowed to act with impunity. Mississippians deserve justice, and I will seek that in court.”
She has also written a letter to the Mississippi congressional delegation asking them to support a bill sponsored by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), which enables Americans to seek damages.
Fitch’s case is seeking damages under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) and is similar to a case the state of Missouri filed under the same act.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced his lawsuit against China on Tuesday, alleging that Chinese officials are to blame for the coronavirus pandemic that has sickened 2.5 million people around the world, devastated local economies, and put people out of work.
A foreign ministry spokesperson for China called Missouri’s lawsuit “very absurd,” arguing the lawsuit has “no factual or legal basis at all.”
