The wives of the five men jailed over their protest against the Corrib pipeline in Co Mayo have written to the prime minister of Norway telling him his country's reputation is being tarnished by their imprisonment.
Statoil, a 36.5 per cent shareholder in the gas pipeline that is being by built by Shell, is part owned by the Norwegian state.
In their letter to Kjell Magne Bondevik, the five women said: "Statoil, along with its partners, applied and secured their indefinite imprisonment.
"Statoil is now party to tactics which were used in 1995 by their partner Shell against the Ogoni people in Nigeria that resulted in the imprisonment and later execution of nine protesters including the poet, Ken Swa Wiwa."
The five men - Micheal O'Seighin, Willie Corduff, Brendan Philbin, and brothers Vincent and Philip McGrath - have pledged to remain in jail until their concerns about the safety of the pipeline are addressed.
They will tomorrow have spent 60 says in prison after they refused to obey a court order instructing them not to interfere with construction of the pipeline. Shell sought their imprisonment after the men, and others who are part of the Shell to Sea protest group, persisted in obstructing work, most of which was on their lands.
In their letter, the men's wives "demand" that Mr Bondevik instruct Statoil "to cease participation in an unsafe pipeline".
The letter concludes: "Holding Irish citizens in indefinite imprisonment does little for the reputation of Norway. We trust that the Norwegian government will now act honourably and show leadership in this matter and ensure that Statoil's shameful participation and abuse of our families and community is ended immediately."
Pickets have been placed outside Statoil petrol stations as part of a series of protests against the pipeline.
Earlier today, Shell to Sea said the company appointed yesterday to conduct a safety review of the pipeline cannot be regarded as independent because it has been appointed by the Government.
A Shell to Sea spokesman said the company, Advantica, which has in the past worked for Shell, was "integrated within the oil and gas industry".