Anti-corona measures activist Willem Engel has lost a second defamation case against Leuven virologist Marc Van Ranst on appeal. Judges ruled that the scientist hadn’t made any errors.
Dutchman Engel had taken Prof Van Ranst to court accusing him of libel because in August 2021 the virologist, speaking on VTM News (Flemish independent news), had called him a “virus denier”. A court in Mechelen judged the facts unproven and acquitted the scientist.
Engel then took the matter to the appeal court but it too ruled against him. The court ruled that Prof Van Ranst hadn’t made a mistake: “Calling somebody a virus denier is not a fact, but the pronouncement of an appraisal of somebody. Consequently there is no question of libel” the court ruling states.
Engel also argued that he had been insulted. The court pointed to a tweet Engel posted ahead of the interview when he claimed that COVID-19 was a “scam, heist and a hoax”. “The tweet made clear that Engel denied the existence of the virus and at that moment was a virus denier. There is no question of an insult,” said the court.
In contrast with the ruling by the lower court Prof Van Ranst wasn’t awarded compensation of 4,000 euros. His claim was rejected as “unfounded”. Last week the appeal court said it was not qualified to judge a similar case that Engel brought against van Ranst. The court judged that a press offence was involved and only a court of assises is qualified to judge such cases.