November 06, 2020
Bulletin interne de l'Institut Pasteur
COVID-19: Senlis Criminal Court convicts the author of a fake news video for defamation
On November 2, 2020, Senlis Criminal Court convicted the author of a misleading video claiming that the Institut Pasteur invented COVID-19, posted online on March 17, 2020, of public defamation towards the Institut Pasteur.
The author's words, which were untrue and unfounded and were based on a misinterpretation of a patent submitted in 2004, led to a wave of strong reactions against the Institut Pasteur. Some members of staff and even some of their families were the victims of hateful messages, phone calls and/or emails, insults and threats. For this reason, for the first time since its inception, the Institut Pasteur had no other choice but to lodge a complaint for defamation, without prejudice to the right to freedom of expression, which the Institut Pasteur recognizes and defends. We look back at the story of a case of fake news.