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Lawsuit (SLAPP)

29 May 2016

L'Obs

Status: DROPPED

Date lawsuit was filed
29 May 2016
Date accuracy
All Correct
L'Obs
Civil
Not applicable
Press; media
Lawsuits: SLAPPs
Legal claims: Defamation
Lawsuit Brought By: Company
Target: Group, Organisation or Institution
Location of Filing: France
Location of Incident: France
Socfin Luxembourg Palm trees & oil, Rubber Company Response

Sources

In 2015, Cameroonian villagers, allegedly affected by the oil palm plantations run by Socapalm, raised their voice against the company, its parent entity Socfin, and the Bolloré Group accusing them of land grabbing, among other claims. In April of that year, Sherpa, React, Mediapart, Le Point & l'Obs published an article authored by the NGO ReAct, which echoed the community's demands. On 29 May 2016, the company submitted a defamation claim in France against the organizations, which civil society denounced as a 'Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation'. The 17th Chamber of the High Court of Paris, specialised in press defamation cases, heard the complaint on 25-26 January 2018 and released its decision on 29 March 2018. On 13 February 2019, Socfin and Socapalm withdrew their appeal to the decision, and the case is now closed.