LAGOS, 9. June 2009: Lawyers for relatives of nine anti-oil campaigners hanged in Nigeria in 1995 say they are thrilled that Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to pay compensation.
The oil giant had been facing charges in the US of complicity in right abuses under Nigeria’s then military rulers.
Shell denies any wrongdoing but said it welcomed the $15.5m (£9.7m) settlement as part of a process of reconciliation.
Lawyers said the case showed that corporations were bound by the same human rights standards as individuals.
“We litigated with Shell for 13 years and, at the end of the day, the plaintiffs are going to be compensated for the human rights violations they suffered,” said Paul Hoffman, a lawyer for the Nigerian families.
Kilde: BBC Online
