More and more people started looking at lawsuit options to hold the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accountable for the worldwide outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus.
- Lawyer Larry Klayman and his group Freedom Watch filed a complaint in federal court in Texas seeking at least $20 trillion from the Chinese government because of its “callous and reckless indifference and malicious acts.” The complaint states, “Although it appears that the COVID-19 virus was released at an unplanned, unexpected time, it was prepared and stockpiled as a biological weapon to be used against China’s perceived enemies, including but not limited to the people of the United States.” The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Klayman, Freedom Watch, and Buzz Photos, a Texas company that specializes in high school sports photography.
- Some Chinese lawyers formed a volunteer group, the “Legal Advisory Panel on Novel Coronavirus Claims.” It provides legal support to patients and their relatives and even a free service for typical cases. They suggested that the CCP regime should provide compensation for all human rights violations, including patients, relatives of the dead, and minors whose parents passed away.
- On March 18, a 22-year old Turkish student Cagatay Orkun Celikbas wrote to the Chinese Embassy in Turkey to request compensation for his monetary loss and mental stress, including rent, counseling, and related education expenses incurred during the period that his college closed.
Related postings on Chinascope:
- Justice: International Experts Suggested Six Legal Bases to Sue CCP
- Justice: U.S. Law Firm Sued Beijing over Its Role in Coronavirus Pandemic
1. Source: CBS, March 19, 2020
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-lawyer-larry-klayman-sues-chinese-government-over-outbreak/
2. Excerpt in Chinese:
由密切关注新冠肺炎疫情的中国律师团队志愿组成的“新冠肺炎索赔法律顾问团”，不久前宣布为武汉肺炎患者及其家属维护自身权益提供法律帮助之后，星期天(3月22日)再添新内容，为索赔加码。这个团队称，决定扩大援助范围，为所有在新冠肺炎疫情期间被侵权的典型案例提供免费法律支持。
“新冠肺炎索赔法律顾问团”在3月22日公布的声明中指出，武汉肺炎疫情是无妄之灾，是大约60年前大饥荒的最新翻版；是政府粉饰太平、漠视人命、权力溃败、官员懈怠、舆论禁声的结果。
该顾问团还说，根据他们的观察，中国新冠病毒爆发期间，公民权益受到侵害的现象，不仅仅存在于患者及其家属这个群体之中，事实上，由医疗、行政和执法等层面给所有公民造成的精神、身体和物资的伤害无处不在。
这些不容忽视的侵权包括：未享受免费诊疗服务且未获退费者；因封锁、限行受到伤害或行政、刑事处罚者；被强制隔离收费和因被强制隔离或劝返而蒙受了损失者；由于医疗资源紧张而无法及时获得医治者；被以防疫之名过度执法和粗暴执法者，等等。
该顾问团建议，中国官方应对所有侵权都予以赔偿，包括补偿病患和死亡者的家属、父母双亡于疫情的未成年人，等等。而且，免费医疗和抚恤措施应适用于全国范围。
Source: Radio Free Asia, March 24, 2020
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/huanjing/hc-03232020194632.html
3. Excerpt in Chinese:
22歲的切利克巴什（Cagatay Orkun Celikbas）就讀土耳其西北部艾斯基瑟希（Eskisehir）的國立安納杜魯大學（Anadolu University）傳播設計與管理系大四，本來計劃今夏畢業後應徵電視台記者工作，準備邁出的人生新階段現在卻被武漢肺炎疫情徹底打亂。
土耳其教育部於12日宣布，大學自16日起停課3週。切利克巴什因此返回距第一大城伊斯坦堡以東約100公里的柯加里省（Kocaeli）省會伊茲米特（Izmit）老家消磨時日，等候不知何月何日才會復課。
切利克巴什於18日致函中國大使館，要求「賠償」。這封信提到：「源自於中華人民共和國武漢市的2019冠狀病毒疾病疫情爆發，且蔓延到我們國家後，國家採取一連串防疫措施。這些措施影響到我的家庭，我必須遠離社交生活長達3週。這段期間學校停課，我進行居家隔離卻須繼續支付房租。」
信中表示：「這段期間造成我的金錢和精神損失，我認為貴國政府應該負責。我請求貴國政府支付這段期間所衍生的房租費、心理諮商費及相關教育等費用。」
這封信受到媒體關注，社群媒體上已有數千人給他按讚鼓勵、留言支持並轉發相挺。
Source: Apple Daily, March 24, 2020
https://tw.appledaily.com/international/20200324/XILZ7XMNJK7A7X4QAKHWAIYFHQ/