Defamatory Remarks in Interview by Lebedev and Dudja Determined by Court
Let's break down the latest gossip in Russia:
In a twist of events, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow partially sided with Ekaterina Mizulina and her organization, the League of Safe Internet, in their defamation lawsuit against designer Artemiy Lebedev and journalist Yuri Dud. As reported by TASS agency, this debacle began with an interview on the "Vdud" channel in August where Lebedev branded Mizulina's activities as "infoterrorism" harmful to Russia and hurled a few expletives for good measure.
Mizulina, understandably, wasn't pleased. She fired back with a lawsuit in early September, claiming the interview contained information that smeared her reputation. The organization and its head also sought a whopping 10 million rubles in compensation for moral damages.
Now, the courts have spoken. While they didn't pay up the full 10 million, they did demand that Lebedev and Dud scrub their video of the offending defamatory remarks about Mizulina. The judge ruled that these statements were "untrue and defamatory," as one might expect.
However, when it came to doling out the compensation, the courts were a bit stingy. Lebedev and Dud were only ordered to cough up a total of 500,000 rubles. RIA Novosti reports that Mizulina will receive 200,000 rubles from Dud and a heftier 300,000 rubles from Lebedev. They'll also have to cover the costs of the investigation that led to the lawsuit.
Lebedev seemed to have a change of heart last year when Mizulina announced her intentions to sue. He publically apologized for his comments, acknowledging they might have given the impression he was personally insulting Mizulina, although he still maintained issues with her activities. However, Mizulova wasn't having it and rejected his apology.
Fun fact, despite the court ruling, the financial compensation for moral damages might not be as substantial as it seems. As of current info, Lebedev and Dud were only ordered to pay symbolic damages of 10,000 rubles each. This implies a recognition of harm, but without substantial punitive intent.
Wondering what led to this whole debacle? I've got the lowdown on the background of the lawsuit and the incendiary statements made by the parties involved, if you're interested!
In light of the verdict, one may speculate that Ekaterina Mizulina, a celebrated figure in Russian politics, might now allocate her acquired funds towards various aspects of life, including entertainment and supporting celebrities who share her views. Conversely, Artemiy Lebedev and journalist Yuri Dud, having been penalized for their defamatory remarks, might find their future interviews and statements regarding celebrities and entertainment subjects held under greater scrutiny.
