Censorship, Self-Censorship and Intimidation Now the Modus Operandi at EPO
- Dr. Roy Schestowitz
- 2015-08-27 15:51:03 UTC
- Modified: 2015-08-27 15:51:03 UTC
Summary: The European Patent Office has ceased even trying to pretend that it respects human rights, including the right to free speech
Staff suicides at the EPO are a frequent occurrence [1, 2, 3] as the last/latest one was just a week ago. This can reasonably well be blamed on a regime of terror, led by the arrogant, Napoleonic Battistelli. He rules with an iron fist and violates many rules, laws, regulations, etc. There's no real protection from a thug like him who pretends to be above the law (impunity), so people are rightly afraid. It's the same with armed policemen who destroy video evidence and do as they wish, basically acting like unaccountable goons.
Worst among all is probably Battistelli's so-called Investigation Unit, which is basically just a bunch of goons, who even hire the 'British Blackwater' to go after staff and after journalists. Just for the uninitiated, who haven't been following what we covered here before, here are some reminders:
"The Office continues to filter emails sent to EPO staff and containing the word SUEPO in the subject," SUEPO wrote on the 26
th of this month (an update titled "Filtering of SUEPO emails"). It's not exactly surprising anymore. The EPO is nuts, so this is expected. "A SUEPO lawyer addresses Mr Battistelli," wrote SUEPO, "by pointing out the legal implications and requests the end of the filtering. A copy of the letter can be found here."
In a very crude, undemocratic fashion they do not just try to completely gag opposition, even if that opposition is the staff union, i.e. EPO staff rather than outsiders. For the record,
here is the text of this complaint from SUEPO (it's in German, so translations would be well received)
⬆
