According to the complaint, BAT established a joint cigarette-manufacturing venture in North Korea in 2001. These activities are said to have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the North Korean regime. The lawsuit argues that these financial flows contributed to funding North Korea’s weapons programmes and, indirectly, attacks carried out against U.S. targets abroad. The plaintiffs claim that BAT’s conduct therefore amounted to “aiding and abetting” acts of terrorism, making the company liable for damages under U.S. law. While BAT has stated that it rejects the allegations in the civil lawsuit, the case raises serious questions about the responsibility of multinational corporations operating in high-risk jurisdictions and the broader societal harms associated with the tobacco industry.

Source: The Guardian February 02, 2026 18:24 UTC