Duma criminalises defamation in attempt to silence opposition

16 Jul 2012 | Russia

The pro-Putin United Russia party has re-criminalised defamation, just half a year since it was decriminalised  on the initiative of ex-president Dmitry Medvedev.

The move is in line with Russian government’s authoritarian response to a number of mass protests. Since Vladimir Putin returned to the Kremlin, the State Duma has passed scandalous laws against rally organisers, NGOs which receive financial support from abroad and a blacklist of websites, which lets authorities shut down websites without the court’s decision. (more…)

UK: Nature wins three-year libel battle

6 Jul 2012 | Index Index, minipost, United Kingdom

Scientific journal Nature won a libel claim today that has lasted three years. Egyptian scientist Mohamed El Naschie had argued the journal had defamed him in a November 2008 story, which alleged he used his editorial privilege to self-publish numerous papers he had written and which would not have been published elsewhere due to poor quality and lack of peer review. At the High Court today Mrs Justice Sharp rejected El Naschie’s claim, accepting the defendants’ defences of justification, honest comment and the Reynolds privilege for responsible journalism on a matter of public interest.