A Dutch court has ruled that it can hear a lawsuit filed by Greenpeace against US energy company Energy Transfer, rejecting the firm's bid to have the case thrown out. The Amsterdam District Court decided on Wednesday that it has jurisdiction because Greenpeace is headquartered in the Dutch capital.
The environmental group brought the case in response to a $345 million damages award against it in North Dakota, stemming from protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline. A jury in North Dakota found Greenpeace liable for millions in damages to Texas-based Energy Transfer.
Greenpeace argues that the North Dakota lawsuit was abusive and damaged its reputation. In a statement, Greenpeace's executive director Mads Christensen accused Energy Transfer of engaging in “blatant attempts to silence free speech, erase Indigenous leadership of the Standing Rock movement, and punish solidarity with the ongoing, peaceful resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline.”
In February, a North Dakota judge said he would order Greenpeace to pay damages, a figure the group says it cannot afford. Greenpeace has said it will appeal that decision.
