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August 14, 2008

UN Human Rights Comittee criticises UK’s ‘libel tourism’

By Patrick

Wealthy businessmen and celebrities are using the UK’s stringent defamation laws to silence their critics, according to the UN’s Committee on Human Rights.

According to the Indy, the committee warned in a report yesterday that the laws had halted debate and exposure of matters of public interest.

The reports cites the case of Dr Rachel , the US researcher who was sued by a Saudi businessman in London – despite the book not being published in Britain. Just 23 copies were bought and read by UK readers, all from the the online bookstore Amazon.

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