Steve Donziger // Amnesty Watch (Released)

Steve Donziger is a lawyer and environmental activist who has been a central figure in a long-running and highly controversial legal battle with Chevron, a major oil company. Donziger represented indigenous communities in Ecuador in a lawsuit against Chevron for environmental damage caused by oil drilling in the Amazon rainforest. In 2011, an Ecuadorian court awarded the plaintiffs $18 billion in damages, later reduced to $9.5 billion. However, Chevron refused to pay, arguing that the judgment was obtained through fraud and bribery, allegations that Donziger has consistently denied.

In a separate lawsuit in the United States, a federal court ruled in favor of Chevron, finding that Donziger had engaged in racketeering and fraud to obtain the Ecuadorian judgment. Donziger was disbarred in New York and has been under house arrest since 2019, facing contempt of court charges for refusing to turn over his electronic devices to the court.

Supporters of Donziger argue that he is being unfairly targeted by Chevron and the US legal system in an effort to silence him and intimidate other environmental activists. Critics argue that Donziger engaged in unethical and illegal practices to win the case in Ecuador. The case has raised important questions about the power dynamics between multinational corporations, the legal system, and environmental activists.

Steve Donziger’s case is a multi-decade saga involving environmental damage, legal battles, and controversial court decisions. Here is a timeline of key events up until his release:

1993: Steven Donziger, a recent Harvard Law School graduate, accepts the victims’ case in Ecuador against Texaco (later bought by Chevron) for environmental damage caused by oil drilling in the Amazon rainforest.

2003: Trial process begins in Ecuador to claim damages from Chevron.

2011: An Ecuadorian court awards the plaintiffs $18 billion in damages, later reduced to $9.5 billion. Chevron refuses to pay, arguing that the judgment was obtained through fraud and bribery.

2011: Chevron files a RICO (racketeering) case against Donziger in New York. Judge Kaplan accepts the case.

2013: Judge Kaplan rules in favor of Chevron, claiming that the Ecuador decision was based on “fraud.”

2014: Forensic research proves that the key witness in Kaplan’s decision lied.

2016: Despite the evidence, Judge Kaplan rules that the Ecuador decision against Chevron was a “fraud” and that Donziger had committed the alleged “fraud.”

2017: Enforcement and collection cases proceed in Australia, Brazil, and Canada.

2018: Donziger is suspended from practicing law in New York without a hearing.

2019: Donziger is placed under house arrest for refusing to turn over his electronic devices to the court.

2021: Donziger is sentenced to six months in prison on a contempt of court charge.

2023: Donziger is released from detention after 993 days but faces ongoing legal challenges and restrictions on his freedom.

This timeline highlights the ongoing struggle between Donziger, the indigenous communities in Ecuador, and Chevron. Donziger’s supporters argue that he is being targeted as part of a broader effort to silence environmental activists and undermine legal accountability for multinational corporations. Critics argue that Donziger engaged in unethical and illegal practices to win the case in Ecuador. The case raises important questions about the power dynamics between multinational corporations, the legal system, and environmental activists. Source