The former editor at the New York Review of Books says he stands by his decision to publish a controversial essay by former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi.

In a piece published Thursday in the Dutch magazine Vrij Nederland, Ian Buruma drew parallels between his case and Ghomeshi’s, saying it’s ironic that he has now been convicted on social media, but not in court.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Review of Books confirmed to the Star that Buruma had left his job amid sharp criticism for publishing Ghomeshi’s essay, titled “Reflections from a Hashtag.” Critics said the piece, in which Ghomeshi stopped short of admitting any physical abuse and did not explicitly apologize, lacked context and was poorly fact-checked.

“I have now myself been convicted on Twitter, without any due process,” Buruma told the Dutch magazine.

“It is rather ironic: as editor of The New York Review of Books I published a theme issue about #MeToo-offenders who had not been convicted in a court of law but by social media. And now I myself am publicly pilloried.”

Buruma says he was not fired from the prestigious literary magazine, but felt forced to resign after it became clear that university publishers who advertise in the Review of Books were threatening a boycott.

Ghomeshi was acquitted of sexually assaulting three women in March 2016, following a high-profile criminal trial.

A lengthy Star investigation eventually outlined allegations from 15 women.

In May 2016, a further charge of sexual assault against him was withdrawn after Ghomeshi apologized to former CBC colleague Kathryn Borel for “sexually inappropriate behaviour” in the office, and signed a peace bond.

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The Review of Books billed the more than 3,500-word essay as “Jian Ghomeshi on Jian Ghomeshi,” under the header “The Fall of Men” as part of a package or stories on the magazine’s Oct. 11 cover.

Buruma drew further criticism for his responses about the essay in a combative interview with Slate.com. In the interview, he told Slate he felt #MeToo can have “undesirable consequences,” and said he was unconcerned by the “exact nature” of Ghomeshi’s alleged behaviour.

The Review of Books on Wednesday added a note to the online version of Ghomeshi’s essay. The note recognized the criticisms against the magazine and clarified details about the allegations against Ghomeshi.

“The following article, which has provoked much criticism, should have included acknowledgment of the serious nature and number of allegations that had been made against the writer,” the note reads.

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“Substantial space will be devoted to letters responding to this article in the next issue.”

Buruma told the Dutch magazine he didn’t gauge the forces of the #MeToo movement.

“I still stand behind my decision to publish,” Buruma, 66, said. “I expected that there would (be) intense reactions, but I hoped that it would open a discussion about what to do with people who behaved badly, but who were acquitted in a court of law.”

With files from May Warren and the Canadian Press

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