Nigeria’s government has posthumously pardoned nine activists known as the Ogoni Nine, who were hanged in 1995 after a sham military trial that targeted peaceful protesters demanding an end to oil drilling and environmental damage in the Niger Delta. Among those receiving a pardon is the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, who led the movement against the Shell Oil Company’s practices in Ogoniland. In a statement, Amnesty International’s Nigeria director said the pardons fall far short of the justice the Ogoni Nine need and deserve. He added, “The execution of these activists nearly 30 years ago has given the Nigerian government and oil companies, including Shell, license to crack down on protests and intimidate people in the Niger Delta who have been demanding justice and an end to their toxic pollution.”

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