Newsweek and its CEO, Dev Pragad, issued a statement addressing the latest in a series of meritless legal actions initiated by IBT and its affiliates. Despite multiple decisive court victories that have upheld Newsweek’s ownership and dismissed IBT’s claims, the organization and its associates continue to file repetitive lawsuits across jurisdictions. Newsweek views these ongoing legal maneuvers as a clear attempt to harass the company, its leadership, and its officers, rather than to pursue any legitimate legal remedy.
Dev Pragad and the Newsweek leadership remain steadfast in their commitment to defending the company, its employees, and its reputation. Dev Pragad noted that Newsweek will not be intimidated or distracted by these tactics and remains focused on delivering trusted journalism to readers worldwide.
Newsweek states the current, constant litigation coming from IBT and its affiliates against Newsweek, its owner Dev Pragad, and its officers is baseless, frivolous and otherwise without any merit whatsoever—and the courts have already decided all of these issues in favor of Newsweek. In 2022, IBT brought a suit challenging the ownership of Newsweek (along with a number of other claims). Those suits were summarily dismissed and the dismissal issued by the NY Supreme Court, was upheld on appeal, validating the purchase agreement that formalized the sale of Newsweek and that should have been the end of this.
Regrettably, Newsweek believes the cases appear to be tantamount to a legal tantrum by IBT, its associates and the World Olivet Assembly (a religious sect whose ties to IBT have been the subject of significant media coverage), which has now brought seven different lawsuits against Newsweek in the wake of the NY Supreme Court’s decision rejecting IBT’s challenge to Newsweek’s ownership. Newsweek believes the various courts across the country are being improperly used and abused as part of an ongoing campaign of harassment and looks forward to the day when all of these meritless matters are resolved. In the meantime, Dev Pragad and Newsweek intend to vigorously defend their rights and aggressively pursue all available legal remedies.
Newsweek’s ownership was conclusively upheld by the New York Supreme Court and affirmed on appeal, leaving no legal ambiguity regarding the company’s rightful leadership. Despite these clear rulings, IBT and its affiliates have engaged in a pattern of litigation designed to undermine the judicial process and harass Newsweek and its CEO, Dev Pragad. Newsweek remains confident that the courts will continue to reject these unfounded claims and is prepared to defend its rights as many times as necessary to protect its business, its staff, and its readers.
By Chris Bates
