Widows of ogoni leaders killed by abacha sue shell in netherlands

A significant and historic development!

You're referring to the lawsuit filed by the widows of Ogoni leaders killed by the Nigerian military during the regime of General Sani Abacha against Royal Dutch Shell in the Netherlands.

Here's a brief background:

In the 1990s, the Ogoni people, an ethnic group in Nigeria, were fighting against the environmental degradation and human rights abuses caused by Shell's oil operations in their region. The movement, led by Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders, demanded greater control over their land and resources, as well as environmental justice.

In response, the Nigerian military, backed by Shell, launched a brutal crackdown on the Ogoni people. Between 1992 and 1995, the military killed thousands of Ogoni people, including Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders, who were hanged in 1995.

The widows of these Ogoni leaders, led by Esther Kiobel, have been seeking justice for their husbands' deaths. In 2017, they filed a lawsuit against Shell in the Netherlands, alleging that the company was complicit in the human rights abuses and murders committed by the Nigerian military.

The lawsuit, known as Kiobel et al. v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. et al., was filed in the District Court of The Hague, Netherlands. The plaintiffs are seeking damages and recognition of Shell's responsibility for the human rights abuses.

In 2020, the court ruled that Shell had a duty of care to prevent human rights abuses and that the company had failed to meet this duty. The court also found that Shell had provided financial and logistical support to the Nigerian military, which was responsible for the killings.

The ruling is a significant victory for the Ogoni widows and a major blow to Shell's reputation. The company has faced numerous allegations of human rights abuses and environmental degradation in Nigeria and other countries where it operates.

The case is being closely watched by human rights advocates and environmental groups, who see it as a test of corporate accountability for human rights abuses and environmental damage.