Chevron Acquitted in Nigerian Human Rights Case, Appeal Expected

A federal jury ruled yesterday that Chevron had done nothing wrong a decade ago when it called the Nigerian military to control protesters who had taken control of an oil platform, demanding better treatment and jobs.

In the end, the military killed two protesters. Accounts of the incident vary drastically: Chevron says the protesters were violent, armed, and had taken workers hostage, while the protesters and their lawyers claim they had been entirely peaceful and engaged in civil disobedience.

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Bert Vorhees, the protesters’ attorney,  vowed to appeal.

“The bottom line here for Chevron and other multinational corporations is, the whole world is watching,” he said. “You cannot get away with this kind of stuff anymore in the third world and you will be held accountable. If not today, then tomorrow, or next week, or next month or next year.”

Photo Credit: WikiMedia Commons under Creative Commons license.

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