U. N. Human Rights Entire body Rules U. S. Gov’t Must Release Lawyer Which Won Suit Against Chevron From “Arbitrary” 2-Year Detention
“Steven Donziger has been susceptible to an illegal detention orchestrated by Chevron and two ideologically-driven trial judges that are retaliating against him with regard to winning a major pollution judgement in Ecuador against a strong U. S. corporation [Chevron], ” say lawyers.
The United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights ruled in favor of U. T. human rights attorney Steven Donziger, who had been under house arrest for 2 years because the result of a RICO suit filed against him simply by oil giant Chevron.
“ The particular U. N. ‘s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WAGA) called the lawyer’s two-year home detention ‘ arbitrary’, concluded it violated multiple provisions of international law including the right to a good trial, and requested the United States government release him immediately and pay compensation for the deprivation of liberty which has now spanned 786 days in a minor misdemeanor situation where no lawyer in the U. S. ever has spent even one day within prison, ” MakeChevronCleanup. possuindo reported .
BREAKING: In a huge victory, the particular U. N. has ruled that my 786-day home arrest violates international regulation — including my right to a fair trial, right to a good judge, and right to reduce arbitrary detention.
Urging my immediate release and reparations. pic. twitter. com/IKhpx9SgDo
— Steven Donziger (@SDonziger) September 29, 2021
Donziger is better known as the lawyer who within 2013 helped Indigenous groups in Ecuador’s Amazon win a historic $9. 5 billion pollution judgement towards Chevron for its deliberate throwing of billions of gallons of cancer-causing oil waste straight into ancestral lands.
But in 2011, Chevron filed a civil RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) suit against Donziger in New York City, accusing him of bribing an Ecuadorean judge and “ fixing” scientific studies.
After a years-long protracted legal back-and-forth with Chevron, in 2019 Donziger was sentenced to home detention while awaiting trial.
WAGA called for the particular immediate release of Donziger and for Chevron to monetarily compensate him.
“ Taking into account all of the circumstances of the case, the right remedy would be to release Mr. Steven Donziger immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law. ”
Donziger’s lawyer Martin Garbus, who has also symbolized Nelson Mandela and reporter Daniel Ellsberg, hailed the ruling as “ significant” and “ courageous. ”
“ This is an extremely significant and courageous decision by five international jurists who confirm what we should have been saying for over two years: Steven Donziger has been subject to an illegal detention orchestrated by Chevron and two ideologically-driven trial judges who are retaliating against him for successful a major pollution judgement in Ecuador against a powerful U. S. company , ” Garbus mentioned.
“ We have been calling on Judge Preska to release Steven immediately impending the outcome of his attractiveness, where we fully expect him to be exonerated, ” Garbus added.
Read the UN WAGA ruling:
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