The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit this week breathed new life into a lawsuit brought against the former president and defense minister stemming from the killing of more than 50 unarmed indigenous people during a period of civil unrest and political upheaval in the South American country nearly two decades ago.

The decision was a win for Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, which has spent the past 13 years working pro bono on the matter, including a three-week trial in federal court in Florida that culminated in April 2018 jury verdict finding the former officials liable under the Torture Victim Protection Act and awarding the plaintiffs, family members of eight of those killed, $10 million in damages.