CNN Cites Sharia Law In $1 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Defense

CNN finds itself embroiled in a $1 billion defamation lawsuit after airing controversial claims about Zachary Young, a U.S. Navy veteran. The allegations were broadcasted on Jake Tapper’s program, leading to a serious headache for the liberal news network.

The Controversial Segment

The segment in question, reported by CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt, accused Young of participating in illegal activities while attempting to assist people fleeing Afghanistan for their very lives during the U.S. withdrawal in 2021. Marquardt suggested that Young was profiting from these missions, a claim he vehemently denies.

Key Details from the Segment:

–Negative Framing: The report described a “black market” operation, suggesting that Young and his company were exploiting desperate U.S. allies for financial gain with “no guarantee of safety or success.”

–Chaotic Context: This segment aired during the tumultuous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a period marked by dramatic scenes of desperate Afghans clinging to U.S. Air Force planes leaving the country, only to fall to their deaths seconds later.

CNN’s Unique Defense: Sharia Law

In their motion for summary judgment, CNN cited Sharia Law – the legal system used by the Taliban – to proclaim their innocence.

Newsbusters reports:

CNN’s opening paragraphs noted that Young had worked “to have women smuggled out of Afghanistan,” and argued “discovery has indicated that those activities he orchestrated and funded, which involved moving women out of Afghanistan, almost certainly were illegal under Taliban rule” (bold added to highlight).

The lead counsel for CNN’s defense, Deanna K. Shullman, wrote the motion and seemed enthusiastic about their line of argument. “Young cannot point to a single shred of evidence indicating otherwise that could somehow create a dispute of material fact as to that issue,” she wrote.

Throughout the document, CNN made it clear they intended to defend themselves with the laws they admit were oppressive of women. They repeatedly noted that Sharia law – as implemented by the Taliban – made it illegal for women to leave the country, which Young was helping them to do:

All of the journalism at issue in this case arose out of the events of August 2021, when the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan, leading the Taliban to take control of the country and ban women from leaving. Because thousands of women faced possible execution or enslavement at the hands of the new government (…)

Legal Developments and Potential Consequences

In June, The Daily Wire reported that a Florida appellate court affirmed that Young and his company, Nemex Enterprises Inc., could seek punitive damages for the Afghanistan story. Young’s lawyer told media watchdog NewsBusters that his client lost $40-60 million in economic opportunities after CNN allegedly destroyed his reputation. With punitive damages, CNN could end up paying $1 billion.

Proving Malice and Internal Communications

Judge L. Clayton Roberts, in the court’s ruling, stated that Young needed to prove malice, and he had done precisely that. “Young sufficiently proffered evidence of actual malice, express malice, and a level of conduct outrageous enough to open the door for him to seek punitive damages,” Roberts wrote.

Internal communications presented in the case revealed CNN employees referring to Young with derogatory terms. One comment enthusiastically forecasted that they were “going to nail this Zachary Young mfucker.” Yet other messages implied doubts about the veracity of the reporting, with one discussion stating that the piece was “full of holes like Swiss cheese.”

CNN’s Defense and Arguments

Despite these internal doubts, CNN aired the segment, ignoring Young’s attempts to correct the inaccuracies. In its appeal, CNN argued it “did not intend to harm” Young and that the report’s language was “either opinion or ambiguous.” They claimed the internal communications were private and reflected a sincere belief in the reporting.

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