09 Jan 12 | Americas, Index Index, minipost
The author of a discredited report linking autism to the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has filed a defamation suit against the British Medical Journal. Andrew Wakefield launched his libel case against three defendants in the United States last week. The gastroenterologist is suing investigative journalist Brian Deer for a BMJ article which analysed his data and accused him of fraud; BMJ editor Fiona Godlee who supported the accusation in an editorial, and the BMJ as a whole. Wakefield claims that the journal acted with malice and suggests a conflict of interest because the BMJ receives money from vaccine makers GlaxoSmithKline and Merck.
04 Jan 12 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood today announced plans to sue an independent newspaper for allegedly insulting the leader and its female members. Newspaper Al-Fagr published an article on 29 December by Mohamed al-Baz in which he reviewed a book written by Entissar Abdel Moniem, a female ex-member of the Brotherhood who slammed the organisation for their position on women. Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghazlan said that al-Baz slandered the group’s leader and its female members, and they would not tolerate defaming “honourable people under the veneer of free opinion.” The paper has also come under fire recently for printing articles against the ruling military leadership.
21 Dec 11 | Index Index, minipost
Strictly Come Dancing star Nancy Dell’Olio has had her libel action against the Daily Mail struck out by the high court. Dell’Olio attempted to sue the tabloid after an article, headlined “Return of the man-eater” appeared, referring to her relationship with 71-year-old theatre director Sir Trevor Nunn. The article, which was published in April, described Dell’Olio as “a woman who hunts men but, rather than kill them and eat them, uses them for her own selfish ends”, which she believed presented her as a “predator”, and a “serial gold digger“.
02 Dec 11 | Africa, Index Index, minipost
A Zimbabwean newspaper is facing a defamation suit from a retired colonel. ZANU-PF member Claudius Makova is suing local paper the Masvingo Mirror for USD 100,000 after it published a story referring to Makova’s alleged interests in Bikita Minerals, the country’s sole lithium producer. Makova claimed the defamatory statements lay in references to him as “stupid and greedy,” and said his reputation had been damaged.
