Krychau ideologist refuses from a part of her claims to “Volny Horad”

December 2, hearings on the lawsuit on protection of honor, dignity and business reputation and compensation for moral damage, filed by the head of the department of ideology, culture and youth affairs of Krychau Town Executive Committee Maryna Maksimava to the independent newspaper "Volny Horad", its publisher Uladzimir Kudrautsau and editor Siarhei Niarouny continued at Krychau District Court.

This time, the hearing lasted just a few minutes: the plaintiff applied to the court to change some of her demands to the defendant. Therefore, the hearing was postponed to December 5.

In clarification of the demands, Maryna Maksimava refused from the requirement to “Volny Horad” to publish a refutation of the information which allegedly discredited her honor, dignity and business reputation, namely the fact that "Indian summer" was in her soul and she understood the ideological work no better than a well-known animal species of oranges.

Meanwhile, she increased the financial claims to the newspaper. Now the official requires the court to exact from the plaintiffs not only a compensation for moral damages (10 mln rubles) and the court fee (450,000 rubles), but also the cost of participation of her representative in the court proceedings (3.6 mln rubles).

Editor of "Volny Horad" Siarhei Niarouny believes that local authorities "do not want the continuation of the information war on our part". The newspaper "Volny Horad" regularly covers the trial on the claim of Maryna Maksimava, people are very interested in this information, and the number of visitors of the newspaper's website has increased dramatically. There is also information that officers of the organized crime department have paid interest to activities of the head of the ideological department and conduct an appropriate inspection.

Bear in mind that in her initial lawsuit Maryna Maksimava asked the court to compel “Volny Horad” to refute the information discrediting her honor, dignity and business reputation, namely that she understood ideological work no better than a well-known animal could discern species of oranges, by publishing an appropriate article. The head of the ideological department also asked to recover from the defendant a compensation for moral damages in the amount of 10 million rubles and legal costs of 450,000, paid by her. Maryna Maksimava also claimed that publication of the article “In Wrong Seat?” brought her anguish, she lost four kilos of weight, had to go to the hospital and take medication because of high blood pressure.

Journalists of “Volny Horad”, on their part, believe that the information published in “Volny Horad” corresponds to the reality and cannot damage the honor, dignity and business reputation of Maryna Maksimava.