The head of Syria's Bar Association says a U.S. court verdict that blamed his government for the killing of an American journalist was "politically motivated" and aims to steal Syrian funds abroad.

Nizar Skeif told The Associated Press on Tuesday that "this ruling has no legal value if there is a self-respecting justice."

A Washington judge last month hit Syria with a $302 million judgment over the 2012 death of Marie Colvin of The Sunday Times.

U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson concluded the Syrian military had deliberately targeted a makeshift media center in Homs city where Colvin and other journalists were working.

Lawyers for Colvin's family argued that her death was no accident. They hope to recover the $302 million verdict by targeting frozen Syrian government assets overseas.