The nanoscientist Roland Wiesendanger must not accuse the Berlin virologist Christian Drosten of deliberately deceiving the public. This emerges from a decision by the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court (OLG). The Higher Regional Court largely upheld an injunction from the Hamburg Regional Court, but allowed Wiesendanger to make another previously prohibited statement, a court spokesman said after the verbal announcement of the order.

In an interview with the magazine "Cicero", Wiesendanger had criticized the early determination of Drosten and 26 other virologists to a natural origin of the corona virus and said: "It had no basis whatsoever." According to the spokesman, the regional court initially did not see any sufficient starting points for this expression of opinion. The Higher Regional Court came to a different conclusion.

The question of the origin of the coronavirus

The interview with Wiesendanger was published on February 2 of this year under the headline: “Does the corona virus come from the laboratory? – “Mr. Drosten misled politicians and the media””. The Hamburg nanoscientist was primarily referring to an open letter that 27 virologists published on February 19, 2020 in the journal "The Lancet". In it, they rejected the claim that the virus had no natural origin as a conspiracy theory. After the interview appeared in "Cicero", Drosten Wiesendanger issued a warning and obtained the injunction of March 14, 2021.

"The decision of the Higher Regional Court strengthens the protection of the personality of scientists who contribute to society against unjustified denigration in the classic media and in social media," said the Charité.

Study by Wiesendanger virologist statement in "The Lancet" v. 19.2.2020