Guest guest Posted January 5, 2001 Report Share Posted January 5, 2001 > 4th January 2001 > > for immediate use > > Judgement Day is announced: Thursday 11 January > > Senior judge will decide on ground-breaking case > > At 2pm on Thursday 11th January 2001, the Vice Chancellor at the High > Court in London will decide on an application for an injunction to prevent > the public from having access to details of a horrific programme of animal > experimentation. The injunction is being sought by the Cambridge-based > biotechnology company Imutran Ltd, and concerns documents leaked from the > company to Uncaged Campaigns that describe it's programme of > pig-to-primate organ transplant research conducted at controversial > testing centre Huntingdon Life Sciences. > > The legal battle follows publication of details of the research in the > Daily Express on 21 September 2000. The paper described the severe and > extensive suffering endured by hundreds of higher primates who had been > implanted with transgenic pig organs. To take just one example, the > Express described how: > > " One monkey which had a pig heart attached to the blood vessels in > its neck was seen holding the transplant which was 'swollen red' and > 'seeping yellow fluid' for most of the last days of its life. " > > The huge volume of confidential documents - the largest set of data on > animal experiments ever leaked - also suggests that the company has not > been frank with the public and the scientific community. In addition, the > documents also starkly reveal tragic failures in Home Office regulation > and the Government's bias in favour of commercial researchers at the > expense of animal welfare. > > Simultaneously, Uncaged Campaigns published a 150 page report - 'Diaries > of Despair' - together with the supporting documents. The injunction aims > to suppress both the report and the documents. > > Apart from the intrinsic importance of the case, it is also a landmark > because the Vice Chancellor's decision will set ground-breaking precedent > because it is one of the first cases to involve the application of the new > Human Rights Act. > > Imutran is a subsidiary of the multi-national pharmaceutical company > Novartis (1999 turnover: 12.6 billion pounds). In a stunning announcement > made four days after Imutran were exposed, Novartis announced that it > would close Imutran and move its research to the U.S., a country which > offers absolutely no legal protection for animals used in research. > Despite the closure of Imutran, Novartis are threatening to pursue the > case to full trial, a classic intimidatory approach adopted by enormously > powerful companies to crush dissent. Despite being faced with a McLibel > Mark 2 legal battle, the defendants are relaxed and positive. > > Dan Lyons, author of the report, comments: > > " Animal researchers, with the connivance of the Government, have > systematically hidden the truth from the public. But informed debate and > an effective democracy rely on the free and unhindered flow of > information. The suffering of animals, the accuracy of biotech propaganda > and the lack of commitment on the part of the Government to upholding the > rule of law are all matters of enormous public interest. This application > is a desperate attempt to keep a lid on what is easily the most > devastating expose of vivisection ever to take place. We are struggling to > resist this legal offensive so that the truth can be heard. " > > > > For further information and interviews, please contact Dan Lyons on 0114 > 2722220, or see www.xenodiaries.org > > - ends - > > > > Notes for editors: > > * Dan Lyons, 28, is Director of Uncaged Campaigns, and a specialist in > the ethics of xenotransplantation. A graduate of the University of > Sheffield, he is also currently researching the ethics of > xenotransplantation towards a PhD qualification. His work has appeared in > the Bulletin of Medical Ethics, the Medical Law Review and in a textbook > for law students. > > * The following individuals have made witness statements in support of > the Defendants: > > 1. Dr Gill Langley, scientist and member of the Government's expert > advisory committee on animal experiments, the Animals Procedures > Committee. > 2. Professor Peter Singer, a philosophy and ethics specialist at > Princeton University. > 3. Professor Robin Downie, a moral philosophy expert at Glasgow > University and former member of the Kennedy Committee, appointed by the > Government, who issued a report on the ethics of xenotransplantation in > 1997. > 4. Norman Baker MP, Liberal Democrat spokesperson on animal welfare. > > * Imutran have not accused either Uncaged Campaigns or the Express of > libel or defamation. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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