On October 31, 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogonis were sentenced to death for inciting the murder of the four Ogoni leaders. They were executed on November 10, 1995. Despite Ken Saro-Wiwa's criticisms of the company before his arrest, SPDC publicly said that he had a right to freely hold and air his views. During the trial, Shell stated that the accused had a right to a fair legal process. After the trial verdict was announced, the then Chairman of Shell’s Committee of Managing Directors, Cor Herkstroter, sent a personal letter appealing to the Head of State to show clemency on humanitarian grounds to Ken Saro-Wiwa and his co-defendants. To our deep regret that appeal...went unheard. We were shocked and saddened by the news that the executions had been carried out.