Motorsport boss Max Mosley has launched a libel claim in the French courts against the News of the World over allegations he engaged in a Nazi-themed orgy.
The Sunday tabloid reported Mosley joined five prostitutes in a five-hour orgy and backed up its story with a video taken by one of the prostitutes – a 90-second-clip of which was posted on its website and attracted 1.5 million page views in two days.
Mosley has already launched a breach of privacy claim in the UK courts – which is due to be heard in a five-day-trial in July – and last month he failed in a legal bid to get the video taken down.
The French lawsuit claims defamation and invasion of privacy against the newspaper and members of its staff including its editor – Colin Myler, Mosley’s lawyer Philippe Ouakrat said yesterday.
A spokesman for the newspaper said it had no comment on the action.
It has said previously it will vigorously defend the claims against it in the British courts.
Mosley, 67, the son of British Fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, has accepted that he visited the prostitutes, but denies there were Nazi overtones to what happened.
He has apologised to the FIA – the governing body for Formula 1 – for any embarrassment caused by his actions, but faced repeated calls for his resignation.
His future is likely to be decided in a confidence vote in Paris next week.
Mosley is able to sue in the French courts because copies of the News of the World would have been circulated in France and the online version of the story would also have been viewed in that jurisdiction.
In April 2005 the Telegraph-owning Barclay brothers sued The Times for libel in the French courts.
Mosley may have chosen to sue in France because lawyers believe they have a better chance of success under the rules of that country’s legal rules.
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