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Doping scandal in Russian sports

German ARD TV channel to go any length to win case against Russian athlete — lawyer

Russian athlete Kristina Ugarova earlier filed a defamation lawsuit against the German TV channel ARD

© ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov

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Russian athlete files defamation lawsuit over German TV channel ARD allegations

MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. Representatives of German TV channel ARD will go to any lengths to win hearings at a Moscow court regarding a defamation lawsuit filed by Russian athlete Kristina Ugarova, her lawyer Alexander Karabanov told TASS on Tuesday.

The Dorogomilovsky Court of Moscow is set to hold hearings on November 11 on a lawsuit on the protection of honor and dignity of Russian runner Ugarova, who insists that German TV channel ARD aired slander against her.

"This hearing is viewed by the German side as crucial," Karabanov said in an interview with TASS. "If we win this lawsuit, we will knock out the very first pylon standing in support of all doping scandals in Russian sports."

"According to information we have, the German side allocated good money to win in the court," Karabanov added.

Read also

Kremlin says ARD doping documentary contains "unconvincing data"

"First, these people make a fabricated film and now they are trying to cover up for their lies," the lawyer said. "According to our information, the German side is trying to somehow reach judges and make them influence the course of the hearing."

Ugarova said in an interview with TASS on Monday that her interview used in one of the parts of the German series of documentaries, directed by Hajo Seppelt, was misinterpreted. The athlete said that she was speaking about one matter in the recording used by ARD, but the translation used in the film voiced another matter on purpose.

"In other words, the authors of the film made their own conjectures about what I was actually speaking about, which is a direct violation," she said. "In case our lawsuit is satisfied in Moscow, we will be turning to international courts."

Russian ex-doping official Vitaly Stepanov and his wife, Russian runner Yulia Stepanova, were in the center of a series of documentaries on alleged doping abuse in Russian sports aired by German TV Channel ARD in December 2014.

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Doping scandal in Russian sports

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Top French diplomat confirms plans to provide Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine

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