A Dutch court on Wednesday rejected a suit against Shell brought by four widows of activists who were executed by the Nigerian government in 1995 after they protested against the oil’s company’s exploitation of the Niger Delta.
The court said there was not enough evidence to support the widows’ claim that Shell had been involved in bribing witnesses related to the case.
In 2019, the court had handed the widows a rare win in their long-running battle by allowing the case to continue. But it had also said the claimants needed to prove Shell’s liability.
Shell has always denied wrongdoing.
Esther Kiobel, whose husband Barinem Kiobel was among those executed, said she aimed to file an appeal in The Hague.
“We can’t do it in Nigeria because they are the collaborators,” she said. “I want their names exonerated. That’s what I want and that’s what I’m fighting for.”
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