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Moscow court to consider Usmanov vs Navalny case on May 18

Businessman Usmanov demands no financial compensation for moral damages from opposition activist Navalny

Alisher Usmanov Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Alisher Usmanov

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. A court in Moscow has accepted for consideration an honor and dignity protection lawsuit filed by businessman Alisher Usmanov against opposition figurehead Aleksey Navalny, the court’s spokeswoman Lyudmila Morozova has said.

"Usmanov’s lawsuit against Navalny has been accepted for consideration. Preparations for the hearings are scheduled for 18 May," she said.

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Usmanov demands no financial compensation for moral damages.

"No financial compensations are involved. Usmanov wants Navalny to refute the allegations that disagree with the reality," Morozova said.

Usmanov earlier declared the intention to take Navalny to court in an interview to the daily Vedomosti. He said the real estate transactions Navalny mentioned in his charges were commercial deals and not a bribe. Usmanov said that he would first turn to a court of Russian jurisdiction, but, if need be, he might be prepared to seek protection in foreign courts.

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