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An independent researcher who pointed out possible issues in more than 60 studies by microbiologist Didier Raoult of Aix-Marseille Université faces a legal complaint alleging harassment and blackmail, The Guardian reported May 22. An open letter by academics supporting Bik, who has also been the subject of insults and Twitter harassment over her criticism of the studies, has more than 1,000 signatures so far. Bik is also mentioned in a separate petition supporting “defenders of scientific integrity.”
“We also want citizens and scientists who might try to sue whistleblowers to understand that it’s not a legal concern but a scientific one,” Lonni Besançon, an author of the open letter and a postdoc at Monash University in Australia who has also raised concerns about Raoult’s work, tells The Guardian. “Dr Bik is an amazing scientist and we want to make sure that no dangerous precedent is set ...
