The widows of four activists executed by Nigeria in the 1990s are in court in The Hague on Thursday, hoping to force the prosecution of oil giant Shell for complicity in their deaths.

In particular, they say Shell helped the Nigerian authorities suppress demonstrations against drilling for oil in the Ogoniland area of Nigeria at the beginning of the 1990s.

Nine men who had campaigned against Shell’s involvement in the region and the military regime were hung in 1995. Their number included the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa.

The civil case has been brought by Esther Kiobel, the widow of Barinem Kiobel, and three other women. She accuses Shell of complicity in the unlawful arrest and detention of her husband; the violation of his personal integrity; the violation of his right to a fair trial and his right to life, and her own right to a family life.

‘Shell encouraged the government to stop Ken Saro-Wiwa and MOSOP, knowing this was highly likely to result in human rights violations being committed against them. Shell had plenty of evidence that the Nigerian military was responding to the Ogoniland protests with abuse,’ said Audrey Gaughran, senior researcher at Amnesty International, which is supporting the women.

Shell has always denied any involvement in the case.

‘The executions of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his fellow Ogonis in 1995 were tragic events that were carried out by the military government in power at the time. We were shocked and saddened when we heard the news of the executions. SPDC appealed to the Nigerian government to grant clemency,’ the company said in an emailed statement.

‘SPDC did not collude with the authorities to suppress community unrest and in no way encouraged or advocated any act of violence in Nigeria.  In fact, the company believes that dialogue is the best way to resolve disputes.’

Esther Kiobel first filed a case against Shell in New York in 2002, but in 2013 the US Supreme Court ruled that the US did not have jurisdiction. She now hopes that the case can be heard in the Dutch legal system.