In his first interview with the British media since he was convicted earlier this year, Lord Black claimed he had been persecuted by the US government and will get the ruling overturned.
The former chairman of newspaper empire Hollinger International was found guilty by a US court on three counts of fraud and one count of obstructing justice. He has yet to be sentenced, but could face more than 20 years in jail.
In an exclusive interview with John Humphrys on the BBC Radio 4 'Today' programme this morning, Black said he was unrepentant and has pledged to write his own account of "these travails" once he is "completely exonerated".
Black said: "I wouldn't call it a fall from grace. I'd call it persecution.
"Most of the case has fallen apart. They started with 16 counts in the American manner of throwing all the spaghetti against the wall. The evidence does not justify the verdicts.
"It's more than four years ago that the US government set upon me and I feel that I've held my corner quite well."
Lord Black said he was "an innocent man, fighting for my life" and questioned the media's handling of his long-running trial: "This theory that it's a great rise and fall story -- that's all nonsense.
"In asserting my innocence, I'm accused of being defiant or in denial. I'm just defending the rights that are the birth right of everybody."
Black is currently free on bail. He is due to be sentenced on December 10.
_1.jpg)
.jpg)