Krychau district court grants another lawsuit against Volny Horad newspaper
On October 22, the District Court of Krychau satisfied a claim by the Cherykau-based PMK-280 state-owned enterprise against the newspaper Volny Horad (“Free Town”). Judge Antanina Kachanava concluded that in an article entitled “We’ll Wait with a Contradiction” the journalists of the newspaper discredited and undermined the company's business reputation. The article was published on June 29, 2013.
The Volny Horad newspaper has thus been ordered to publish a rebuttal. According to the court, the text will be prepared by the administration of PMK-280.
Apart from that, the journalists will be required to compensate the lawyer’s services in the amount of 850 thousand rubles, and to pay the court costs of BYR 300,000.
According to the editor of the newspaper Siarhei Niarouny, the journalists will appeal the ruling to Mahiliou Regional Court.
"Unfortunately, no miracle occurred, although there were some hopes. It seemed that Judge Antanina Kachanava was going to take into account our arguments. But something did not allow her to make a different decision. I can say that an attack on freedom of speech in Krychau continues,” says the Volny Horad editor-in-chief.
On October 24, the same court will consider yet another lawsuit against the newspaper. Two employees of PMK-280 demand 16 million rubles in moral damages over the same publication of June 29.
