Barrick Gold launches $6 million lawsuit against Écosociété - Barrick Gold inició juicio a Écosociété por 6 millones de dólares

Freedom of expression under attack: Écosociété hit by a SLAPP

May 2008

http://slapp.ecosociete.org/

Barrick Gold, the world largest gold mining company, launched a $6 millions lawsuit against Écosociété solely in order to crush them and force them into bankruptcy. Following the publication of Noir Canada. Pillage, corruption et criminalité en Afrique, Barrick asked the small non-profit Quebec publisher, and the authors of Noir Canada, $5 millions for compensatory psychological harms, as well as one million on account of exemplary damages, which represents 25 times Écosociété's annual revenue.

This lawsuit muzzle, or Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), represents a serious threat to the right to information and freedom of expression and therefore to democracy. We refuse to get ourselves muzzled and we will carry on our work as a socially committed publisher.

Écosociété ask for all forms of possible support to carry on this David and Goliath struggle.

In order to help us, you can:

* Sign the online petition for an anti-SLAPP law and send it to all your contacts
http://slapp.ecosociete.org/en/node/add/signature

* Write to your MP and to the minister to ask for an anti-SLAPP law
http://slapp.ecosociete.org/en/node/add/lettre-au-ministre

* Send a donation
http://slapp.ecosociete.org/en/node/31

* Buy the book Noir Canada

Noir Canada. Pillage, corruption et criminalité en Afrique brings together and analyses national and international documents already available to the public (reports, books, documentaries...), concerning various abuses from several Canadian companies working in Africa, in particular in the mining and oil areas. It also deals with the supports these corporations benefit on behalf of the Canadian government. The debate the book wishes to make public is all the more legitimate given that Canadians assets (retirement funds, RRSP, public funds) are often indirectly invested in these corporations through Toronto Stock Exchange.

Barrick Sues Book Publisher Over African Allegations

By Joe Schneider

April 30 (Bloomberg) -- Barrick Gold Corp., the world's biggest gold producer, sued a Quebec publisher for C$6 million ($5.95 million) in damages over a book that claims the company was linked to crimes in Africa.

Les Editions Ecosociete Inc. last week released ``Noir Canada: Pillage, Corruption et Criminalite en Afrique,'' which translates to ``Black Canada: Plunder, Corruption and Crime in Africa.'' The book by Alan Deneault alleges abuses by Canadian mining, oil and drug companies.

Barrick, based in Toronto, is accused in the book of taking part in the 1996 removal of Tanzanian miners from the Bulyanhulu gold property. Barrick acquired the site three years later. Some miners were killed during the removal, according to the book, a claim Barrick denies.

The defendants ``have engaged in a carefully orchestrated and unlawful campaign of defamation,'' Barrick said in a complaint filed yesterday in Quebec Superior Court in Montreal. ``Barrick values highly its reputation for carrying on business in a proper, ethical and lawful manner.''

In addition to damages, Barrick seeks a court order to pull all copies of the book from circulation, remove the allegations from all Web sites and bar the defendants from repeating the claims. Guy Cheyney, director at Ecosociete, declined to comment yesterday, saying he was unaware of the suit.

Observer Suit

Barrick sued the U.K.'s Observer newspaper over similar allegations in a November 2000 article. The newspaper apologized and paid a ``substantial'' sum to Barrick, which donated the money to charity, company spokesman Vince Borg said today.

Barrick acquired Bulyanhulu, now Tanzania's biggest underground mine with 10.7 million ounces of gold reserves, when it bought Sutton Resources Inc. In addition to Africa, Barrick has operations in the U.S., Canada, South America and Australia.

In ``Noir Canada,'' Deneault also claims Barrick had dealings with a Ugandan arms trafficker and rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Barrick called the accusations ``patently false and defamatory.''

Barrick rose 76 Canadian cents, or 2 percent, to C$38.71 at 4:10 p.m. on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The shares have declined 7.3 percent this year.

The case is Barrick Gold Corp. v. Les Editions Ecosociete Inc. File No. 500-17-042671-084. Quebec Superior Court (Montreal).

To contact the reporter on this story: Joe Schneider in Toronto at jschneider5@bloomberg.net.

Ataque a la libertad de expresión: Barrick Gold demandó a Écosociété

Mayo, 2008

http://slapp.ecosociete.org/es

Barrick Gold, la empresa minera aurífera más grande del mundo, inició un juicio a Écosociété por 6 millones de dólares con el único objetivo de aplastarla y llevarla a la quiebra. Luego de la publicación de Noir Canada. Pillage, corruption et criminalité en Afrique (Noir Canada. Pillaje, corrupción y criminalidad en África), Barrick reclama a esta pequeña editorial sin fines de lucro de Québec, y a los autores de Noir Canada, $5 millones por compensaciones por daños morales, y un millón a titulo de daños punitivos, lo que representa 25 veces el ingreso anual de Ecosociété.

Esta Demanda Mordaza, o SLAPP, representa una grave amenaza al derecho a la información, a la libertad de expresión y, por lo tanto, a la democracia. Rechazamos el intento de silenciarnos y estamos decididos a continuar nuestro trabajo de editores comprometidos. Ecosociété solicita todas las formas de apoyo posibles para sostener este combate de David contra Goliat.

http://slapp.ecosociete.org/es

Para ayudarnos, puede:

Firmar la petición en linea para una ley anti-SLAPP y hacerla circular ampliamente Escribir a su diputado y al ministro para exigir una ley anti-SLAPP Enviar una donación

Adquirir el libro Noir Canada

Noir Canada. Pillage, corruption et criminalité en Afrique es la síntesis y análisis de documentos nacionales e internacionales previamente publicados (informes, libros, documentales), que refieren a numerosos abusos de varias corporaciones canadienses presentes en África, principalmente en los sectores minero y petrolero. El libro también sostiene que dichas corporaciones son a veces beneficiadas por el apoyo del gobierno canadiense.El debate que este libro quiere hacer público es aún más legítimo considerando que los activos de los canadienses (fondos de pensión, REER – fondo de ahorro para el retiro, fondos públicos) son a menudo invertidos indirectamente en estas sociedades a través de la Bolsa de Toronto.

http://slapp.ecosociete.org/es