Steven Donziger hugs his son after his hearing outside Manhattan Federal Courthouse, October 1, 2021. Credit: @SDonziger

Environmental and human rights lawyer Steven Donziger surrendered himself to federal authorities on Wednesday this week, following a lengthy legal battle with oil major Chevron. Donziger, who won a $9.5bn settlement against the company in 1993 for oil waste dumped on Indigenous land in Ecuador, was found guilty of contempt of court in July this year.  

He was also disbarred from working in New York in 2019, and has been in home detention since August that same year. 

Related Company Profiles

View all

According to Chevron, Donziger fabricated and withheld evidence to strengthen his case, with the oil major maintaining that Ecuador’s domestic oil company Petroecuador was responsible for the oil spill. 

While the ruling at the time was a landmark decision as the largest sum won against an oil major, Chevron has not yet paid the money or enacted a cleanup, and a Manhattan judge ruled against the $9.5bn judging in 2014, saying it had been won through illicit means such as bribery and fraud.

The oil major then brought the case against Donziger, which escalated into a criminal case when he failed to hand over his electronic devices to the courts.  

While the US attorney for the Southern District of New York refused to prosecute for the case, Chevron hired private law firm Seward & Kissel to take it on. 

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Donziger appealed the contempt of court decision, citing an opinion by independent United Nations experts that his treatment thus far (and specifically his home confinement) violated international human rights law. His appeal was, however, unsuccessful, and the latest ruling will see him facing a six-month prison sentence.  

The activist, in an interview with the Guardian in March, said that the situation had grown to become “planned targeting by a corporation to destroy my life”. 

Tweeting about the sentencing on Tuesday, he said: 

“After 100 pages of legal briefing, the appellate court today denied my release in 10 words. This is not due process of law. Nor is it justice.”