Defamation lawsuits against Leonid Schneider (author of the "For Better Science" blog)

Leonid Schneider has lost at least two documented defamation lawsuits: one in 2016 at the Bavarian Regional Court in Würzburg related to the Walles trachea transplant case, and another in 2018 at the Kammergericht Berlin concerning his reporting on Paolo Macchiarini and Philipp Jungebluth. These cases have resulted in financial penalties and ongoing legal threats, including potential imprisonment. Other lawsuits or threats are mentioned, but specific outcomes are less clear from the available data.

We asked Grok about Leonid Schneider. He is well known in the European judicial system!

Gregg Semenza Case

Schneider alleged that Gregg Semenza, a 2019 Nobel Prize winner, published papers with falsified data, often as the last author. While some of Semenza’s papers were flagged on PubPeer for image irregularities, no formal investigation has publicly confirmed intentional fraud. Critics, such as those on This Ȼ Life, argue that Schneider’s claims against high-profile scientists like Semenza verge on conspiracy-mongering, as they may amplify minor errors or unproven allegations without sufficient evidence of intent.

Wafik El-Deiry Case

Schneider’s blog highlighted alleged issues in cancer researcher Wafik El-Deiry’s work, prompting a response from El-Deiry, who claimed he was under “terrorist attack” by Schneider’s reporting. El-Deiry’s supporters argued that Schneider’s accusations lacked concrete evidence of intentional fraud and were part of a broader pattern of inflammatory rhetoric. No formal investigation concluded fraud in this case, and the allegations were framed by some as harassment rather than substantiated claims.

Grok has more examples of defamation lawsuits against Leonid Schneider. Simply ask Grok!