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Appeals Court Revives Torture Claims Against Exxon [USA]
In a major ruling with wide implications for corporations that operate overseas, a divided federal appeals court in Washington today said Exxon Mobil Corp. is not immune from liability for alleged brutal conduct that agents of the company allegedly orchestrated against a group of Indonesian villagers. The plaintiffs, 15 Indonesian villagers, sued Exxon in two actions…, claiming government security forces, working for Exxon, killed and tortured villagers in Aceh, Indonesia…“The law of the United States has been uniform since its founding that corporations can be held liable for the torts committed by their agents,” Judge Judith Rogers…said in the opinion…"We have fought these baseless claims for many years. The plaintiffs’ claims are without merit," the [ExxonMobil] statement said.