PORTUGAL: Court upholds injunction banning book on McCann

Record ID: 561244

  • Title: PORTUGAL: Court upholds injunction banning book on McCann
  • Date: 19th February 2010
  • Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (FEBRUARY 18, 2010) (REUTERS) FORMER POLICE DETECTIVE, GONÇALO AMARAL OUTSIDE THE COURT (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISABEL DUARTE, MCCANNS' LAWYER, SAYING "The conclusions of this decision confirm absolutely, the decision of the first decisions. So the book will be, cannot be, neither reproduced nor sold. The video cannot be reproduced or sold and Gonçalo Amaral and TVI and VC Filmes and Guerra e Paz cannot reproduce or give interviews or statements about the thesis defend ed in the book." CAMERA OPERATOR AND REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISABEL DUARTE, MCCANNS' LAWYER, READING KATE MCCANN'S MESSAGE: "Thank you so much, please pass on my thanks to George and (unclear), they are my assistants, hopefully this will be the start of good things for Madeleine." CAMERAS AND REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISABEL DUARTE, MCCANNS' LAWYER, SAYING: "Just as my client says in the message this is the beginning of a new situation to reopen the search for Madeleine with more possibilities." FORMER POLICE DETECTIVE, GONÇALO AMARAL SPEAKING ON MOBILE PHONE CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) FORMER POLICE DETECTIVE, GONÇALO AMARAL SAYING: "The decision continues to put in question and limit my freedom of expression so it is completely out of context." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) FORMER POLICE DETECTIVE, GONÇALO AMARAL SAYING: "No, it is another step and I always said we were prepared to go to the European Court of Human Rights and do what's necessary to get there. Now we have another phase of appeal and we will carry on." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) FORMER POLICE DETECTIVE, GONÇALO AMARAL SAYING: "It is a fact. A fact that it is a persecution that has put into question even the survival of my own family. About that we will react also in the right place." COURT EXTERIOR
  • Embargoed: 6th March 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Portugal
  • Country: Portugal
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVAEMBUO1QRUM8KDDO7JVVCOP5OX
  • Story Text: A Portuguese court upheld on Thursday (February 18) the ban of former detective Goncalo Amaral's book about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
    Kate and Gerry McCann's lawyer Isabel Duarte said she welcomed the decision.
    "The conclusions of this decision confirm absolutely... the first decisions. So the book will be, cannot be, neither reproduced nor sold. The video cannot be reproduced or sold and Gonçalo Amaral and TVI and VC Filmes and Guerra e Paz cannot reproduce or give interviews or statements about the thesis defend ed in the book," said Duarte, after coming out of the court in Lisbon.
    Duarte also read out a statement by the McCann's in which they said they were relieved by the decision.
    "Hopefully this will be the start of good things for Madeleine," she read.
    "This is the beginning of a new situation to reopen the search for Madeleine with more possibilities," Duarte added.
    The parents of missing British toddler Madeleine McCann initiated proceedings against Gonçalo Amaral over the contents of his book 'Maddie - The Truth of the Lie'.
    Published in 2008, Gonçalo Amaral's book is currently unavailable, having been removed from shelves following an injunction imposed on September 9 after the McCanns claimed the book defamed them by suggesting their account of Madeleine's disappearance was false.
    Gonçalo Amaral who had sought to appeal against the injunction said the court were breaching his freedom of expression.
    "The decision continues to put in question and limit my freedom of expression so it is completely out of context," he said. "It is another step and I always said we were prepared to go to the European Court of Human Rights and do what's was necessary to get there," he added.
    The action against Amaral was originally filed by Kate and Gerry McCann, along with Madeleine and her twin siblings, Sean and Amelie.
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