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Russian opposition leader files 5th defamation lawsuit vs prosecutor general

In his lawsuit, Alexey Navalny asks the court to recognize as false the information spread by Chaika that discredits the plaintiffs’ honor and dignity and business reputation
Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalny Filip Kireyev/TASS
Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalny
© Filip Kireyev/TASS

MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/. The Anti-Corruption Fund and Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalny have filed the fifth defamation lawsuit against Russia’s Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika, with Novaya Gazeta newspaper mentioned as a co-defendant in the claim, plaintiffs’ representative Ivan Zhdanov said on Monday.

"In this lawsuit, we are requesting the Basmanny court again to examine our lawsuit but this time we have included an expert conclusion that Chaika’s pronouncements affect precisely Navalny’s interests," he said.

As Navalny reported on his website, he also intends to apply to the Constitutional Curt of Russia and the European Court of Human Rights over the breach of his right to defense.

Some Moscow courts earlier refused to accept the lawsuits, saying "Navalny’s interests are not affected."

In his lawsuit, Navalny asks the court to recognize as false the information spread by Chaika that discredits the plaintiffs’ honor and dignity and business reputation.

The Anti-Corruption Fund founded by Alexey Navalny published a probe on its website on December 1 into the business of Prosecutor General Chaika’s sons. As the website of the Anti-Corruption Fund reported, one of Chaika’s sons allegedly owns a Greek hotel and the prosecutor general’s sons are also allegedly shareholders in two key companies of Russia’s railway monopoly RZD.

The prosecutor general rejected all these accusations as false and said that "this video was ordered by UK national and Head of Britain’s Hermitage Capital Fund William Browder and special services standing behind him."

A Russian court earlier found Browder guilty of tax crimes and sentenced him to 9 years in prison in absentia.