An attorney for Haitians impacted by a deadly outbreak of cholera has asked a U.S. judge to let their lawsuit against the United Nations move forward. The outbreak in Haiti, which killed more than 8,500 people, has been traced to U.N. peacekeepers who responded to the 2010 earthquake. At Thursday’s hearing, an attorney from the Justice Department appeared in court to argue the United Nations is immune from such legal action. But Beatrice Lindstrom, attorney for the plaintiffs, said the United Nations should be held accountable.

Beatrice Lindstrom: “We argued today that the United Nations cannot enjoy immunity in this suit when the United Nations is responsible for the death of over 8,500 people and over 700,000 people who have been injured. And the United Nations has clear legal obligations under their own treaties to provide remedies for people who have been harmed by the United Nations, and that is uncontested by the U.N. itself.”