Labedzka’s slander suit against state television rejected

Pershamaiski court of Minsk dismissed the slander suit filed by United Civic Party leader Anatol Labedzka against Belarus` three national state-run TV channels that broadcast the odious documentary "The Road to Nowhere" in May.

Mr. Labedzka plans to appeal the ruling to the Minsk City Court.

In the documentary, an unidentified off-camera commentator said, "When Mr. Miller [Gazprom head Aleksei Miller] ordered the cutoff of gas supply to our republic at a 20-degree [subzero, Celsius] cold, wishing to force our leadership to sell him Beltransgaz for a song, pseudo-patriot Lebedko in fact came out in support of this move. Pouring mud on his country, slandering the president, he helped gentlemen like Svanidze [Nikolai Svanidze, host of the Zerkalo television show on Russia`s Rossiya channel] to morally justify that act. It would be the worst nightmare to imagine the thug selling our national wealth to his friends oligarchs, if he were to grab power in Belarus by some miracle."