OSLO, WEST BERKS, NORWAY, Aug. 30, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ —  Magnus Granath (‘Hodlonaut’ Twitter account user), Norwegian digital asset enthusiast and creator of the Lightning Torch project, requests a ‘negative court statement’ to the Oslo District Court that his tweets against Dr. Wright, the creator of Bitcoin, are not defamatory.

 Dr. Craig Wright has a counterclaim against Granath for defamation relating to tweets posted in March 2019.

 The seven-day trial begins September 12, 2022 to determine whether a Granath-orchestrated smear campaign against Dr. Wright existed and, if so, the extent of the harm done to Dr. Wright.

 Dr Wright brings counterclaims for libel damages against Granath in Norway and separate libel proceedings in England.

On Monday, September 12, Oslo District Court will hear Magnus Granath’s request for the court to determine that his March 2019 campaign tweets (calling Dr Wright a fraud and decrying Dr Wright’s pseudonymous identity under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto), were not defamatory of Dr. Wright. Dr. Wright’s counterclaims for damages arising from Granath’s publications will also be heard during this seven-day trial.

Following a campaign of online attacks denying his identity and personal integrity to Nakamoto via an anonymous but well-followed Twitter account (“Hodlonaut”), Dr. Wright sought to uncover the online activist and the motivation behind his abuse. personal.

Wright’s investigations eventually uncovered devout Norwegian pro-BTC Magnus Granath as Hodlonaut – who was later, through Wright’s lawyers, given the option to take down his tweets to avoid legal action. Unfortunately, Granath ignored these requests and instead rushed to its national court in an effort to avoid legal liability for its posts.

The court will hear allegations that beginning in March 2019, Granath coordinated a campaign of harassment and smear against Dr. Wright’s legitimate claim to be the inventor of Bitcoin (BSV), the first working electronic payment system and successful in the world.

Granath (via his Hodlonaut Twitter account) is known to have some 8,800 followers and encouraged and facilitated them to amplify his message that Dr. Wright is variously “a fraud”; represents “the dirtiest side of humanity”; is “a very sad and pathetic crook” and even that Dr. Wright is “clearly mentally ill”, while adopting the hashtag #CraigWrightIsAFraud. The tweets, quotes and retweets that followed reached a global audience of thousands of people with a specific interest in Bitcoin development. Many of these readers will not have suspected Granath’s motivation – developing his own commercial interest in BTC – according to Dr. Wright.

Dr. Wright has always welcomed informed discussion and debate about the development and future prospects of this digital currency (BSV), whether in person or online. However, he cannot accept deliberate attempts to deny that he is Nakamoto, nor targeted personal abuse, especially from those who hide behind anonymous aliases (rather than pseudonyms) to avoid legal accountability for their actions. .

Halvor Manshaus, partner at law firm SchjØdt, Dr. Wright’s Norwegian lawyers, says:
“The plaintiff made a series of strongly worded allegations and derogatory statements about Dr Wright. This was done in the form of anonymous tweets to the plaintiff’s thousands of followers, who repeatedly called on others to join him in his online bashing of Dr Wright.

“This is not the type of discussion that enjoys protection under free speech provisions. On the contrary, it breaches the commonly accepted threshold of decency and respect in communication – whether online or in person.
“Anonymous online bullying of this type risks having a chilling effect on meaningful debate and the civil exchange of views and opinions. Dr. Wright questioned the motives of Granath’s repeated personal attacks on him, which seem rooted in economic incentives rather than facts.

ENDS
Trial Judge: District Court Judge Helen Engebrigtsen.
Legal advisers: Dr. Wright is represented by: Halvor Manshaus and Halvard Helle de SchjØdt.
Dr. Wright’s final summary and list of witnesses in the case are available upon request.

Ed Pownall
lightning sharks
+44 7825064776
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