International Fencing Federation wins legal battle against Reuters
(Courtesy : FIE)
German Court Rules Reuters’ Claim Was Unverified
On 5 May 2026, an open letter addressed to the IOC President Kirsty Coventry and the leadership of the International Fencing Federation (FIE) was published, voicing allegations against the leadership of the FIE and calling for an external review.
On the same day, the news agency Reuters distributed the report to media outlets worldwide, stating that the open letter had been signed by “almost 3,000 athletes and coaches.” Numerous media outlets around the world picked up the story.
From the outset, the FIE has stated that these claims were erroneous and part of a defamation campaign against the sport’s governance.
Reuters could not substantiate the figure and is now prohibited by court order from making that claim. The German appellate court in Hamburg has issued a preliminary injunction barring the news agency from disseminating the statement (order of 23 July 2026, case no. 7 W 94/26). The Hamburg Regional Court had initially declined to issue the injunction; the decision was rendered on the FIE’s appeal. Each violation is subject to a fine of up to EUR 250,000 for each violation, or coercive detention in lieu thereof.
The court qualified the statement as an untrue statement of fact. According to the court’s findings, the open letter was signed through an online form that was freely accessible to anyone.
It was undisputed that neither the identity of the signatories nor their self-designation as athletes or coaches were verified in any way. Almost half of the entries were submitted anonymously. In addition, the initiator had encouraged recipients to forward it to third parties, who could likewise sign it.
The court therefore held that “there is no legitimate interest in the dissemination of untrue facts”. It emphasised that presenting “almost 3,000 athletes and coaches” as signatories, rather than a certain number of persons who cannot be further identified, gives the statement a considerably greater weight, one that violates the federation’s rights: of athletes and coaches, the average reader expects a greater degree of personal concern and knowledge of the affairs of the world federation.
FIE Questions Integrity of Petition as Reuters Issues Correction
An independent examination of the signatory list commissioned by the FIE had previously established that just a fraction of the signatories of the letter to the IOC could be matched with FIE-licensed athletes or coaches, while many signatories identified themselves as parents, fans or other third parties.
In addition, national federations reported the names of athletes who, by their own account, had never signed the document. The list also contains duplicate and apparently fictitious signatures.
FIE Interim President Abdelmoneim El Husseiny: “The amplified and unfounded claim published by Reuters was the sole basis for the worldwide attention this letter received. That basis has now been qualified as untrue by a court of law, and Reuters itself now concedes it never independently verified the figure. A campaign built on an anonymous, unchecked online list that anyone could manipulate discredits itself, and with it every allegation that relies on it.”
Attorney Joachim Nikolaus Steinhöfel, counsel to the FIE: “The initiator of the letter of complaint publicly called for the signatory list to be manipulated even before the letter was sent. A list that is half anonymous, partly falsified and signed by random third parties was turned into a letter of complaint from 3,000 athletes and coaches. A bizarre affair: the integrity of the world federation was to be called into question by a list that possesses no integrity whatsoever.”
Following the decision, Reuters corrected the article. According to the correction notice, the figure of 3,000 was removed. Reuters expressly states that it did not independently verify the signatures and notes that the FIE disputes the number and the authenticity of the signatories.
Why did the German court rule against Reuters in the FIE case?
The Hamburg Higher Regional Court found that Reuters’ claim that the open letter was signed by “almost 3,000 athletes and coaches” was an untrue statement of fact.
The court noted that the online signatory list was publicly accessible, identities were never verified, and nearly half of the signatures were anonymous, making the figure impossible to substantiate.
What did the court say about the authenticity of the signatures on the open letter?
The court highlighted that the signatories were not verified as athletes or coaches, the form could be signed by anyone, and the petition was openly shared for further circulation.
An independent review commissioned by the FIE also identified duplicate, anonymous, fictitious, and non-athlete signatories, with some athletes reportedly denying they had signed the letter.
How has Reuters responded following the court’s decision?
After the ruling, Reuters corrected its original report by removing the reference to “almost 3,000” signatories. The news agency also acknowledged that it had not independently verified the signatures and noted that the FIE disputes both the number and the authenticity of the signatories.
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Riya Singhal is a sports journalist with experience across multiple sports. She has led golf coverage for over three years, reporting live from some of Asia's biggest courses and interviewing emerging talents. Beyond golf, she has covered Formula 1, MLB, WWE, NBA, and NFL, bringing versatility to her reporting. Alongside writing, Riya has played an important role in mentoring young journalists and maintaining editorial quality, combining her background in education with strong leadership and people-management skills.