Top libel lawyer Paul Tweed launches defamation action against London-based Middle East expert
Top libel lawyer Paul Tweed has launched a defamation action against a London-based academic and expert on the Middle East.
Proceedings issued at the High Court in Belfast claim a book written by Dr Andreas Krieg wrongly portrays the high-profile solicitor as a covert United Arab Emirates agent.
Mr Tweed is seeking damages over an alleged reference to him in the publication ‘Subversion: The Strategic Weaponization of Narratives’.
Dr Krieg is an associate professor at the School of Security Studies in King’s College, London and political risk analyst on the Gulf region.
Published in 2023, his book has been described as an examination of how “malicious state and nonstate actors take advantage of the information space to sow political chaos”.
Mr Tweed is already suing the American publishers of Subversion, Georgetown University Press, in a libel case taken in Dublin.
But now the lawyer, known for successfully representing celebrity clients such as Britney Spears, Liam Neeson, Nicolas Cage and Jennifer Lopez, has issued a separate writ against Dr Krieg.
The case, alleging damage to his professional reputation, is being pursued in Belfast for jurisdictional reasons.
In court today lawyers representing the academic sought more time to prepare for a preliminary hearing to determine the meaning of a section of the book at the centre of the legal battle.
They dispute that the contents of that passage give the impression alleged by Mr Tweed.
Richard Coghlin KC, for Dr Krieg, argued that it was one paragraph in a 252-page academic book regarded as suitable only for post-graduates and practitioners in the field of information studies.
He indicated that his client should be given more time to file an affidavit before any determination is made on meanings.
“The plaintiff is asking the court to look at one paragraph in isolation, but it’s not a simple exercise,” Mr Coghlin said.
“The context is relevant and at least involves the rest of a 252-page book.”
Counsel for Mr Tweed, David Ringland KC, resisted attempts to have the case put back.
“It’s simply a delaying tactic,” he claimed.
Mr Ringland contended that the defendant is not just an academic, but also a geo-strategic consultant with a political risk firm who has provided advisory services to the Qatari Armed Forces.
“This goes some way to explaining the background leading up to the defendant accusing Mr Tweed of being a covert United Arab Emirates agent,” the barrister submitted.
He argued that Mr Tweed has become “collateral damage” through properly acting for clients perceived as being pro-UAE.
Mr Ringland insisted his client had attempted to mitigate the alleged reputational harm through pre-action correspondence to avoid litigation, but claimed this was ignored.
The court also heard there was further publication of an allegedly defamatory tweet, and that the book remains available from some online distributors.
Adjourning the case until next week, Mr Justice Colton requested more information before determining if the hearing on meanings is to go ahead as scheduled.