Condemned to silence for having "denigrated" Bordeaux wines, Alerte aux toxiques wants to "break the omerta" on pesticides

Valérie Murat is eagerly awaiting a court hearing regarding her appeal against a ruling that has silenced her for over five years. In February 2021, she was ordered to pay over €125,000 to the Bordeaux wine council and several cooperatives for allegedly defaming Bordeaux wines. This stemmed from her publication of pesticide contamination findings in wines labeled as environmentally friendly. The court deemed her communication as intentionally alarming and mandated the removal of her report from all digital platforms. Following this ruling, she shut down her website and social media accounts. The association La Maison des lanceurs d’alerte criticized the ruling as a strategic lawsuit against public participation, aimed at silencing dissenting voices.