武汉中院受理诽谤案：武汉市政府等起诉美国密苏里州，索赔3564.4亿元
据路透社11月4日报道，中国湖北省武汉市中级人民法院已受理一起诽谤案：原告为武汉市政府、武汉病毒研究所和中国科学院，被告为美国密苏里州及其前任总检察长埃里克·施密特（Eric Schmitt）、安德鲁·贝利（Andrew Bailey）和现任总检察长凯瑟琳·哈纳韦（Catherine Hanaway）。法院11月3日发布的官方通知确认受理此案。案件在中国武汉开庭审理，被告是美国密苏里州一方。
原告指控密苏里州方面就新冠疫情捏造并散布虚假信息、发表污名化与歧视性言论，并在美国提起了「恶意与滥诉性诉讼」，严重侵害原告的名誉权并造成重大经济损失。原告要求被告公开道歉、恢复名誉并赔偿损失。据《南华早报》报道，中方索赔金额为3564.4亿元人民币，约合534.4亿美元。密苏里州总检察长办公室截至报道时未立即回应置评请求。
这起诉讼是双方多年交锋的最新一幕。密苏里州曾于2020年4月提起美国首起针对湖北省及其他中国被告的诉讼，要求其为新冠疫情造成的经济损失负责。如今武汉方面以诽谤为由反诉，案件的审理进展将受到持续关注。
（来源：路透社）
Wuhan Court Hears Defamation Case Against U.S. State of Missouri, With 356.44 Billion Yuan in Damages Sought
A Chinese court has started hearing a defamation case filed by Wuhan authorities and scientific institutions against the U.S. state of Missouri, Reuters reported on November 4. According to an official notice published on November 3, the Wuhan Intermediate People's Court in Hubei province formally accepted the case, jointly brought by the Wuhan municipal government, the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The case is being heard in Wuhan, China; the defendants are the state of Missouri and its former attorneys general Eric Schmitt and Andrew Bailey, as well as current Attorney General Catherine Hanaway.
The plaintiffs allege that Missouri fabricated and disseminated false information about the coronavirus pandemic, made stigmatizing and discriminatory remarks, and orchestrated "malicious and abusive litigation" in the United States, severely infringing their reputation rights and causing significant financial losses. They are demanding a formal public apology, restoration of their reputation, and compensation. The South China Morning Post reported the Chinese side is seeking 356.44 billion yuan (about $53.44 billion). The Missouri attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The suit is the latest in a long back-and-forth: in April 2020, Missouri filed the first-of-its-kind U.S. lawsuit against Hubei and other Chinese defendants, seeking to hold them responsible for economic damages from the pandemic.
(Source: Reuters)
来源：路透社
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：密苏里州议会大厦，位于州府杰斐逊市，为被告州政府所在地。Farragutful 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, seat of the defendant state government. By Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
GSM Global · 本篇英文版 English edition of this story
