Tsikkinis rejects defamation claims in 19 page response to first lady

Online activist Nicoletta Tsikkinis, issued a detailed 19 page response rejecting allegations of defamation raised by the lawyers of the first lady, Philippa Karsera, and has made clear she will not delete or retract any of her social media posts.

The letter was sent on Tuesday to Karsera’s own lawyer, Achilleas Emilianides, in reply to a demand that past Facebook posts be removed and a warning of possible legal action.

The response denies that any of the posts are defamatory and describes the initial legal warning as ‘an attempt to intimidate and silence a critical voice in public discourse’.

According to the letter, Tsikkinis’ posts constitute political criticism and commentary on matters of public interest and fall within the protections of freedom of expression.

Her lawyers analyse each of the 13 posts cited by Karsera’s legal team, arguing that they either reproduce information already in the public domain or amount to value judgments, which are not actionable under defamation law.

The response also raises concerns about selective targeting, pointing out that legal action was directed solely at Tsikkinis despite widespread public reaction on social media following the publication of a controversial video relating to alleged corruption.

It is further stressed that the posts in question are not recent, with the most recent dating back to last June.

Tsikkinis lawyers place the legal dispute within the broader political context of intense public debate, including her own resignation from the social support agency.

The letter concludes that any further legal action will be contested, stating that Tsikkinis does not intend to withdraw posts which, according to her legal representatives, represent a legitimate exercise of free expression and public scrutiny of individuals holding power.