In early 2024, I received one of the most outrageous legal threats I’ve ever seen.

An Australian man — who, purely by coincidence, shares the same name as a deceased Hezbollah terrorist I’d reported on — sent me a formal concerns notice through his lawyers.

The demand? Take down my report, apologise to this guy I’ve never heard of, vow never to mention the terrorist again, pay him $50,000, and cover his legal fees. If I didn’t comply, they threatened to sue me for half a million dollars.

Let that sink in.

The report was clearly about a known Hezbollah terrorist. There was no confusion. Yet somehow, this man — who happens to have the same name — wanted to cash in on it and censor my work in the process.

Of course, I didn’t cave. I took the threat seriously, but not in the way they hoped. I turned to you, our Rebel News community, and with your help, I was able to retain one of Australia’s top defamation lawyers, Justin Quill.

Now I can finally say: it’s over.

The complainant sent through an amended concerns notice — clearly trying to gear up for court — but then failed to meet the deadline to actually file. The limitation period has now expired, meaning they’re legally barred from taking it any further.

In plain terms: they blinked. They got scared off by the strength of our legal response.

This entire ordeal was a textbook example of lawfare — using the legal system as a weapon to intimidate and punish journalists. It was never really about justice. It was about making the process itself the punishment.

But because of your generosity, I was equipped to fight back — and we won.

Thank you for standing with me. And thank you to my brilliant legal team, who are also quietly working on other battles behind the scenes.

There’s more to come — and with your continued support, I’m ready for it.

Donate to Avi's Legal Fund

Rebel News chief Australian correspondent Avi Yemini fights hard to get to the truth, which means legal bills, threats and intimidation are a part of his every day reality. He couldn't bring you the news without your generous support. Please help Avi reveal the stories the mainstream media refuse to tell you about.

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