1. United States
2. Letter

President Biden should pardon environmental lawyer and human rights defender Steven Donziger. Mr. Donziger represented Indigenous communities whose lands were devastated by oil dumping in Ecuador by Chevron. After winning a lawsuit against Chevron, he was targeted with a retaliatory legal campaign by the corporation, rendering his detention arbitrary according to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Mr. Donziger was convicted of contempt of court for refusing to violate attorney-client privilege by handing over electronic devices containing confidential information about his clients. His conviction and detention constitute a SLAPP suit (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) intended to silence those exposing corporate wrongdoing through intimidation and depleting their resources. Pardoning Mr. Donziger would uphold principles of environmental justice and human rights while protecting advocates like him from corporate retaliation through vexatious lawsuits. It would send a powerful message about safeguarding the ability of lawyers and activists to hold corporations accountable for environmental destruction without fear of unjust imprisonment or financial ruin through endless legal battles. I urge you to pardon Steven Donziger and stand up for environmental defenders facing corporate persecution for their important work.