First Quantum Minerals responds to SLAPP research
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We categorically deny that we instituted the action against SARW with the intent to intimidate and censor that organisation, on the contrary, the action was instituted as a last resort to protect our reputation after extensive interactions with SARW to address the unfounded and unjustified defamatory statements it has published about us and a particularly troublesome issue which we will touch on shortly...
SARW published a report on its website during February 2019 which contained untrue and unfounded defamatory statements concerning us... We ... requested SARW to remove the First Report from its website. We also invited SARW to visit our mine in order to conduct a joint validation process... SARW accepted our invitation and removed the First Report...
On 15 December 2020 a ... Second Report ... was published on the website of SARW. The Second Report still contained a number of defamatory and untrue statements, which were comprehensively addressed and refuted in Our Response...
[T]he issuing of the summons was a last resort after we had walked the proverbial extra mile with SARW...