Appeal to the Supreme Court

An appeal to the Supreme Court has been filed by the lawyer on behalf of the McCanns. 

PJGA will assume the legal costs for Gonçalo Amaral, thanks to your contributions.

We remain confident, as always, that Justice will be served and Freedom of Speech, of Opinion and of Information will prevail.

Statement

Projecto Justiça Gonçalo Amaral (PJGA) was set up by a group of his friends on 1 November, 2009, in response to the decision by Gerry & Kate McCann to take legal action against Gonçalo Amaral and others.

The McCanns sought not only to suspend sales of the book “Maddie: A Verdade da Mentira”, but to demand the sum of €1,2 million from Dr. Amaral.

A second injunction succeeded in freezing Dr. Amaral's assets and income, denying him the opportunity to defend himself in court.

On 20 November 2009, a defence fund was launched. Its purpose was to help enable Dr. Amaral to fight the legal action that was brought against him by the McCanns.

The fund has remained at all times independent of Dr Amaral. It is beyond reach of any compensation claim. Any funds remaining after all legal expenses are met are to be donated to a Portuguese children's charity.

In April 2015, as the legal action dragged on and costs were becoming difficult to handle, an approach was made to the friends who created PJGA, suggesting that a GoFundMe page be launched to generate additional funds.

PJGA cooperated with Leanne Baulch, who fronted this part of the appeal, to bring this to being on 29 April 2015.

Let us be clear: all donations made to the GoFundMe page, minus the commission deducted automatically by GoFundMe, were paid directly into the one bank account that has been held by friends of Dr Amaral since PJGA was created.

Leanne, having successfully promoted the GoFundMe page, handed over its control to the group of friends who coordinate PJGA, for personal reasons that are unrelated to the legal action. We are hugely grateful for her initiative.

On 21 October 2015, when it was considered that sufficient funds had been raised, it was decided the GoFundMe page would be closed on 28 October 2015.

The fund has been able to support Dr Amaral in his successful appeal against the McCanns' actions and at this moment contains adequate funds for a sound legal defence should the case be brought to Supreme Court. PJGA will continue to support Dr Amaral's legal costs should this happen. The PJGA legal defence fund remains open.

For the purpose of clarity, the suggestions of impropriety by anyone connected with the defence fund are false.

The group of friends and Mr Amaral himself remain eternally grateful for your support in allowing a man to defend himself in court and for justice to prevail.

We will endeavour to keep you informed as and when we receive further information regarding the re-appeal.

A Note of Gratitude

Dear friends,

Today, the 15th of June, my appeal against the sentence that has recently been produced in the trial concerning my book, "Maddie, A Verdade da Mentira", was filed at the Civil Court of Lisbon.

Now I serenely await the Appellate Court's decision, reaffirming my confidence in Portuguese Justice.

The wave of solidarity that was generated to support me has been very moving and makes me feel extremely humble. I am so very grateful to each and every one of you, who have supported me and continue to do so; none of this would have been possible without you. 

Winston Churchill said: "All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honour; duty; mercy; hope." 

Truth is also simple. It is truth that guides me, and it will continue to do so, in its simplicity and greatness.

Thank you very much.

Gonçalo de Sousa Amaral

PJGA Statement on the «Madeleine Foundation»

As of 12 June 2010 no donations made by Mr. Anthony Bennett or by the «Madeleine Foundation» had arrived to the ‘Citizens for the Defence of Rights and Freedoms - Project Justice Gonçalo Amaral’ PayPal account or Bank Solidarity account.

Whatever Mr. Bennett is claiming, and the recent «Madeleine Foundation» proposals (click on the left image to read) are not supported in any way by the ‘Citizens for the Defence of Rights and Freedoms - Project Justice Gonçalo Amaral’ nor by Mr. Gonçalo Amaral.

The unauthorized use of the PJGA's Legal Defence Fund details by the «Madeleine Foundation» and/or by Mr. Bennett as if that organization and/or individual partakes with the ‘Citizens for the Defence of Rights and Freedoms - Project Justice Gonçalo Amaral’ is undesirable and unwanted.


Extract from the PJGA Manifest
published on 11.06.2009

«The book “Maddie: A Verdade da Mentira” was subject to an injunction that sought not only the suspension of sales of the book and the DVD that was based on it, but also of any and all divulgation of the thesis that is defended by Dr. Gonçalo Amaral, author of the book and former Judiciary Police coordinator, about the ‘Madeleine McCann’ case.

Through this action, a ban was imposed not merely on the written work, but on an entire line of thought: the expression of an opinion, based on the facts of a police investigation; a rational, responsible, mature decision.

Nonetheless, said injunction was merely the tip of an iceberg. In the main action that it refers to, Madeleine’s parents seek to extort the sum of 1.2 million Euros from Dr. Gonçalo Amaral – an astronomical amount that is out of any proportion, both legal, and ethical.

A second injunction succeeded in apprehending belongings and professional income from the defendant, stifling his capacity to respond in financial terms, given the fact that judicial and process costs are indexed to the value that is demanded through the main action. In this manner, stripped of his freedom of expression and economically asphyxiated, the siege on a Man who, at huge personal and family cost, seeks nothing more than the reopening of a judicial process, in order to conclude an investigation that so many consider has been cut off halfway through, closes in.»

The Legal Defence Fund/Solidarity Account was constituted to support Gonçalo Amaral in his struggle to regain his inalienable Right to Freedom of Expression as consecrated in the Portuguese Republic’s Constitution exclusively through the payment of judicial expenses and whenever it is proved necessary.

Cheques or donations made out personally to Gonçalo Amaral and/or to his family members are not accepted, and will be returned.

Financial resources that are deemed excessive in the future will be delivered to a social institution, dedicated to support children in need.

More information at Press Release – Defence Fund and Charter of Principles.