ExxonMobil - Aceh, IndonesiaDoe v. Exxon Mobil Cohen Milstein represents eleven Indonesian citizens who are suing ExxonMobil Corporation for kidnapping, torture, and murder and other abuses, allegedly committed by security guards ExxonMobil hired from the ranks of the Indonesian military. The suit alleges that ExxonMobil hired Indonesian soldiers to provide security at ExxonMobil's natural gas facility in Indonesia, in spite of the soldiers' well-documented history of abusing Indonesian citizens, and that indeed, the soldiers ExxonMobil hired abused, tortured, and/or murdered Indonesian citizens while they were working for ExxonMobil. On August 27, 2008 the United States District Court for the District of Columbia denied Exxon Mobil's motion for summary judgment, removing the last procedural hurdle before trial. "This ruling has global implications," said Michael Hausfeld, lead counsel for plaintiffs. "It sends the signal to U.S. companies operating overseas that they cannot expect to facilitate and permit these kinds of abuses in the countries where they are operating and escape without punishment. We intend to hold Exxon Mobil accountable for horrible acts committed by their security, on their watch, that they could have and should have prevented." The District Court has not yet set a date for the trial, which will take place in Washington, D.C. |
