Journalist Sued Over Gol Midair

The Association of Relatives and Friends of Gol's Flight 1907 Victims says the widow of one of the victims of Flight 1907, which went down on September 29, 2006, is bringing a lawsuit against Joseph M. Sharkey, a U.S. journalist, seeking compensation for moral damages. The accident involving a Gol Boeing 737 and a Legacy jet killed 154 people.
The group says he published articles on his internet blog so as to push his country to prevent the Legacy jet pilots from returning to Brazil to face possible charges. The group also alleges that he used language offensive against victims' families and other Brazilians, including air traffic controllers. In the civil suit filed at the 18th Civil Court of Curitiba, it is suggested as a reference for compensation for moral damages an amount similar to the one that would be awarded should the journalist be convicted in his own country. "That would be a means to effectively prevent this type of behavior. Another request is that a court order be issued for the journalist to apologize to all Brazilian citizens, in the same media used by him, the group stated.