Article
Judge Dismisses Indonesians' Lawsuit Against Exxon
A federal judge Wednesday dismissed a long-running lawsuit by Indonesian villagers who sought to hold Exxon Mobil Corp. liable for alleged killings and torture committed by Indonesian soldiers guarding a natural gas plant in Indonesia's Aceh province…Siding with Exxon Mobil Wednesday, Chief District Court Judge Royce Lamberth…ruled the villagers had no standing to bring a lawsuit against the oil giant in U.S. courts because they are non- resident aliens…Exxon Mobil spokeswoman…Ross said Wednesday, "We have fought these baseless claims for eight years and today's decision validates the company's assertion that the claims are without merit."…Agnieszka Fryszman…, an attorney representing the villagers, said Wednesday's ruling "is an unusual interpretation of the standing requirement and we're confident that the court of appeals will see it differently."