Moscow’s Meshchansky District Court on Friday threw out a 20 million ruble ($660,800) defamation lawsuit filed by Oleg Mitvol, prefect of the city’s Northern Administrative District, against Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Interfax reported.
Mitvol sued Zhirinovsky for accusing city authorities of corruption during a live television broadcast in April. The prefect, who was not directly mentioned in Zhirinovsky’s speech but said he sued as a city official, promised to appeal.
Mitvol, Mayor Yury Luzhkov and other city officials have filed similar lawsuits against Zhirinovsky with the Savyolovsky District Court. The total sum of compensation they demand is 63 million rubles ($2 million).
(MT)
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
