International Commission of Jurists
33, me des Bains, P.O. Box 216, 1211 Geneva 8, Switzerland

PRESS RELEASE

IMMEDIATE
Geneva, June 14, 2006

International Commission of Jurists Condemns Harassment against Attorneys in the Lawsuit against a U.S. Oil Corporation in Ecuador

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) manifests its profound preoccupation for what it considers to be serious and repeated acts of harassment against Ecuadorian lawyers who represent 30,000 plaintiffs in a case against the U.S. corporation, Chevron (formally Texaco) for environmental damage and health damage caused by the company’s 28 year oil exploitation in the region.

In a letter mailed today to Ecuadorian authorities, the ICJ reminded the government of its obligation to prevent and investigate all types of harassment, and explained to the government that a failure to do so constitutes a violation of international standards regarding the administration of justice. Specifically, the ICJ expressed its particular preoccupation with the fact that the information it received indicates that government functionaries may have been involved in some of the acts of intimidation.

In accordance with the reliable information received by the ICJ, five of the lawyers who represent plaintiffs in the case against Chevron have been victims of serious acts of harassment over the course of the litigation, including burglaries and the illegal stealing of documents.

Despite action taken by the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights and the Special Representative of the United Nations insisting that Ecuadorian authorities protect these lawyers working on behalf of human rights, the harassment continues.

The ICJ reminded the Ecuadorian government that under international norms regarding the administration of justice, the government has the obligation to “take all necessary measures to ensure that the plaintiffs and their legal representatives are neither harassed nor suffer any other type of intimidation.” The ICJ also called on the Government to perform an independent, impartial, exhaustive and effective investigation into the acts of intimidation against the individuals involved in this case and to bring those presumed responsible before a court so that they may be tried in an independent and impartial tribunal. Finally, the Ecuadorian authorities shall ensure that Aguinda v. ChevronTexaco be tried in a just, independent and impartial manner in accordance with international standards regarding the administration of justice.

About the International Commission of Jurists:

The ICJ is composed of jurists from all regions and legal systems of the world and works for the protection of the international legal regime and for the protection of human rights. The center for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers is dedicated to the promotion of the independence of judges and lawyers all over the world.

For more information, contact José Zeitune, Official Legal Contact for Latin America, at +41 22 979 3812.