Thread by @carolecadwalla

I have hugely mixed feelings this morning. It is tremendous news that the UK govt is going to crack down on SLAPP lawsuits.

I also feel angry & sad & helpless that I was put through this ordeal. Am still going through this ordeal.

news.sky.com/story/crackdow…

It is a huge milestone for the people who have done so much to campaign for this, organisations such as @RSF_en & @IndexCensorship & people like @skcoughtrie & @rebecca_vincent.

And it will hopefully bring to an end this era of legalised harassment

theguardian.com/law/2022/mar/1…

It was the cases against @CatherineBelton & @tomburgis, the leadership of @liambyrnemp & @DavidDavisMP & evidence session of @CommonsForeign led by @TomTugendhat that made this happen.

It was such a clear-cut wrong. Madness to allow Putin's cronies to use UK courts in this way.

This is to thank them for this work. It will make a difference. I just feel, this morning even more like the Invisible Woman. I've been the subject of 100s of articles like these. And although my case was called a SLAPP by 19 freedom of expression orgs, it wasn't covered as such.

It still isn't covered as such. Even @guardian didn't include my case in its coverage.

theguardian.com/law/2022/mar/1…

I've tried to write on here a bit on here about how traumatising I found the experience. And I don't use that word lightly. Because there's been no other outlet to do so. I can't write about Banks in @ObserverUK while case still ongoing. Not a single other news outlet covered it.

It was easy for everyone - even Tory MPs - to get behind Catherine & Tom. And rightly so. And they had powerful advocate in Harper Collins. Whereas I'm not the right kind of victim. My case slap bang in deeply politicised territory: Brexit.

Worse: Russian involvement in Brexit.

Breaking the silence on my case would mean breaking the silence on this. On Russia's attack on Britain via multiple threat surfaces. Including Brexit.

A 6-year silence by Conservatives, Labour & almost the entire media establishment.

theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/j…

@TomTugendhat & @IoWBobSeely on @commonsforeign both have an expert understanding of Russian hybrid warfare.

And I sincerely hope they realise that pretending Russia attacked the West, just not Britain in 2016, is madness.

This dam must break. And they need to help break it.

Here's @skcoughtrie's thread on the news. She's played a huge role in getting us to this place. 🙏 you, Susan for all your hard work. And all the other members of the SLAPP coalition which includes Guardian's legal chief @ladywell23

https://twitter.com/skcoughtrie/status/1504352351435505664?s=20&t=PkDlP6VVUmWfR8Ud01rP0Q