Shell on trial

Shell on trial

www.truthout.org

Royal Dutch Shell will revisit one of the darkest periods of its history tomorrow as a potentially groundbreaking court case opens in New York.

The oil giant stands accused of complicity in the 1995 execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a Nigerian environmental activist.

The world's boardrooms are watching the case, which is seen as a test of whether transnational companies owned or operating in the US can be held responsible for human rights abuses committed abroad.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Wow, a had no idea that Shell was accused of executing a environmental activist so google I went.

Kenule "Ken" Beeson Saro-Wiwa (October 10, 1941 – November 10, 1995) was a Nigerian author, television producer, environmental activist, and winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize. Sara-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic Nigerian minority whose hometown, Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta has been targeted for crude oil extraction since the 1950s and which has suffered extreme and unremediated environmental damage from decades of indiscriminate oil waste dumping. Initially as spokesperson, and then as President, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Saro-Wiwa led a nonviolent campaign against environmental degradation of the land and natural waters of Ogoniland by the operations of multinational oil companies, especially Shell. He was also an outspoken critic of the Nigerian government, which he viewed as reluctant to enforce proper environmental regulations on the foreign oil companies operating in the area.

At the peak of his non-violent campaign, Saro-Wiwa was arrested, hastily tried by a special military tribunal, and hanged in 1995 by the Nigerian military government of General Sani Abacha, all on charges widely viewed as entirely politically motivated and completely unfounded. His execution provoked international outrage and resulted in Nigeria's suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations.

en.wikipedia.org...

So this is something I would like to see actuion taken on and it would be very nice to see a corporate giant like shell held responsible for murder...

www.truthout.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

WOW WOW. Good find!

I had no idea. I too want to see Shell held accountable. That is, of course, if Ken Wiwa Jr. is telling the truth. There is little doubt in my mind that he is, but you never know.

Down with corporations that rape and pillage natural resources!

EDIT: removed extra words.

[edit on 26-5-2009 by free2live]

This could be huge. I actually had a global business ethics class last semester where someone did shell as their project so I am glad to see someone at least trying to do something. It could be huge in the sense that a lot of major corporations are guilty of the same thing. Coca Cola comes to mind, union leaders seem to "disappear" all the time in their south american factories.