By Mike Corder, THE HAGUE Netherlands
The widows of four Nigerian
activists executed in 1995 have withdrawn their appeal in a Dutch civil case in
which they alleged that oil giant Shell was complicit in the men’s deaths,
ending a yearslong legal battle for compensation and an apology.
Esther Kiobel speaks to reporters outside The Hague Civil Court, the Netherlands, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019
The four widows, Esther Kiobel, Victoria Bera, Blessing Eawo and Charity Levula, launched the case in 2017. It was rejected in a final ruling by The Hague District Court in March, following an interim decision in 2019 dismissing parts of their claim.
Their husbands were among nine
activists from the Ogoni tribe, led by writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, who were hanged in
1995 for the murder of four political rivals. Supporters say they were really
targeted because of their involvement in protests against environmental damage
by Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary.
Ken Saro-Wiwa |
“This has been a lengthy and
demanding procedure, which makes them relive horrible events, while the outcome
is most uncertain,” Samkalden said, adding that the women have never received
any form of compensation or other support.
“While two of them found
refuge in the U.S. and Canada, two others are still in Nigeria in very poor
conditions. Rather than focusing on the appeal, initiatives are now being
developed aimed at providing these women with some basic financial assistance,”
the statement added.
Shell has always denied the
allegations of complicity in the activists’ executions.
The company said that the end
of the civil case “does not in any way diminish the tragic nature of the events
of 1995. These events shocked us deeply. The Shell Group, alongside other
organizations and individuals, appealed for clemency to the military government
in power in Nigeria at that time, but to our deep regret those appeals went unheard.”
Shell discovered and started
exploiting Nigeria’s vast oil reserves in the late 1950s and has faced heavy
criticism from activists and local communities over spills and for the
company’s close ties to government security forces.
The Dutch case was not the first-time
relatives of Ogoni activists had taken Shell to court.
In 2009, Royal Dutch Shell
agreed to a $15.5 million settlement to end a lawsuit in the U.S. District
Court in New York alleging that the oil giant was complicit in the nine
executions. Shell said it agreed to settle the lawsuit in hopes of aiding the
“process of reconciliation.” But the company acknowledged no wrongdoing.
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