Wuhan Court Hears Defamation Case Against U.S. State of Missouri, With 356.44 Billion Yuan in Damages Sought
A Chinese court has started hearing a defamation case filed by Wuhan authorities and scientific institutions against the U.S. state of Missouri, Reuters reported on November 4. According to an official notice published on November 3, the Wuhan Intermediate People's Court in Hubei province formally accepted the case, jointly brought by the Wuhan municipal government, the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The case is being heard in Wuhan, China; the defendants are the state of Missouri and its former attorneys general Eric Schmitt and Andrew Bailey, as well as current Attorney General Catherine Hanaway.
The plaintiffs allege that Missouri fabricated and disseminated false information about the coronavirus pandemic, made stigmatizing and discriminatory remarks, and orchestrated "malicious and abusive litigation" in the United States, severely infringing their reputation rights and causing significant financial losses. They are demanding a formal public apology, restoration of their reputation, and compensation. The South China Morning Post reported the Chinese side is seeking 356.44 billion yuan (about $53.44 billion). The Missouri attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The suit is the latest in a long back-and-forth: in April 2020, Missouri filed the first-of-its-kind U.S. lawsuit against Hubei and other Chinese defendants, seeking to hold them responsible for economic damages from the pandemic.
(Source: Reuters)
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：密苏里州议会大厦，位于州府杰斐逊市，密苏里河畔，为被告州政府所在地。KTrimble 摄，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, on the Missouri River, seat of the defendant state government. By KTrimble, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
