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Court rejects Russian National Guard chief’s libel lawsuit against Navalny

Viktor Zolotov filed a one-million-ruble ($15,000) lawsuit against opposition politician and blogger demanding the protection of honor, dignity and reputation

Head of Russia's National Guard Viktor Zolotov Alexei Nikolskly/Russian president's press service/TASS

Head of Russia's National Guard Viktor Zolotov

© Alexei Nikolskly/Russian president's press service/TASS

MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. Moscow’s Lyublinsky Court has rejected a libel lawsuit filed by Head of Russia's National Guard Viktor Zolotov against opposition politician and blogger Alexey Navalny, the court said on its website on Sunday.

In December 2018, the court said the document contained discrepancies contradicting Russia’s Civic Procedural Code and obliged Zolotov to refile the lawsuit in a correct form by January 9. However, the complainant failed to meet the court’s demand.

Later, Zolotov’s lawyer Shota Gorgadze said he would not represent his client’s interests.

Russia’s National Guard (Rosgvardiya) chief filed a one-million-ruble ($15,000) lawsuit against Navalny demanding the protection of honor, dignity and reputation. Gorgadze explained that Zolotov wanted Navalny’s statements concerning his client declared as slanderous and having nothing to do with the reality. In particular, this concerns private property information and claims that the National Guard’s chiefs were involved in corrupt food procurement schemes, the lawyer said.

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