Krychau: head of ideological department sues “Volny Horad” newspaper

Head of the ideological department of the Krychau District Executive Committee Maryna Maksimava has filed a claim for the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation and compensation for moral damages to the Krychau District Court.

The defendants in the case are the independent newspaper "Volny Horad", its publisher Uladzimir Kudrautsau and editor Siarhei Niarouny.

The official decided to go to the law after the publication of the article “In Someone Else's Chair?” on September 14, 2014 at the website of “Volny Horad”. The journalists raised an acute issue of concealment of the reasons for the collapse of the building of the assembly hall and dining room of the local secondary school by the authorities of the Krychau district and the state-owned newspaper “Krychauskaye Zhyttsio”.

Maryna Maksimava asks the court to compel “Volny Horad” to refute the information which allegedly discredits her honor, dignity and business reputation. The matter is that in the article it was stated that she knew ideological work no better than a pig discerned kinds of oranges. The official wants the newspaper to write that she really knows the ideological work well, pay her a compensation, 10 million rubles, and the court fee – 450,000 rubles, paid by her.

As reported by the editor of “Volnaye Zhyttsio” Siarhei Niarouny, on October 8 he received a writ from the Krychau District Court. The trial was scheduled for 2.30 p.m. on October 22.

Let us remind that in 2013 and 2014 journalists of “Volny Horad” went through a number of trials, when the administration of the enterprise “Cherykau PMK-280” accused them of discredit and subversion of the business reputation of the enterprise. However, the journalists managed to win the trial.

“Volny Horad” has been published since 1998 and is very popular among the population of the eastern parts of the Mahiliou region. It has a circulation of 299 copies (the maximum circulation allowed for issue without obtaining a state registration). Despite the numerous attempts to register the edition, the local authorities have always opposed the registration.