Thread by @cjcmichel

NEW: A series of lawsuits from Russian oligarchs in the UK highlights how easy it is for kleptocratic forces to stifle Western journalists, and anyone trying to shine a light on international money laundering networks. newrepublic.com/article/163131…

The Russian oligarch at the center of the recent efforts to target investigative journalists in the UK, Roman Abramovich, has helped launch what may be the most expensive libel case in British history.

But there's far more at stake than just legal fees.

newrepublic.com/article/163131…

The strategy of post-Soviet oligarchs targeting Western journalists with lawsuits is part of the broader world of "lawfare"—and it's getting worse.

And as @FPCThinkTank found last year, the most popular foreign jurisdiction to target journalists is clear: the UK.

Suing investigative journalists into oblivion is one tactic. But *threatening* lawsuits is enough to cow publishers.

Remember the debacle with Karen Dawisha, author of "Putin's Kleptocracy," a few years ago? Forced to abandon UK publishing outright, because of lawsuit concerns.

And these oligarchs are increasingly looking for ways to target *American* journalists, as well.

They keep lobbing lawsuits—with U.S. lawyers willing time and again to help target U.S. investigative journalists just trying to do their jobs.

newrepublic.com/article/163131…

Long story short: journalists on both sides of the Atlantic should be paying close attention to this Russian oligarch’s legal threats—and politicians on both sides need to shore up legal protections, ASAP.

https://twitter.com/cjcmichel/status/1422214866543259653?s=20

ICYMI

https://twitter.com/cjcmichel/status/1422214866543259653?s=20

"The UK’s financial/legal systems not only service at best ‘questionable’ money flows... but the UK is also home to legal and reputation laundering services that can be utilised to suppress public scrutiny into, or whitewash over, potential wrongdoing." opendemocracy.net/en/odr/the-uks…