(CJES/IFEX) – On 19 June 2006, the Volzhsky area court in Saratov City considered a legal action requested by the Saratov branch of the governing party Edinaya Rossiya (United Russia) to be taken against founder and editor Sergey Mihajlov of the independent newspaper “Saratovskiy reporter” (“Saratov Reporter”). Mihajlov told CJES that the action was initiated […]
(CJES/IFEX) – On 19 June 2006, the Volzhsky area court in Saratov City considered a legal action requested by the Saratov branch of the governing party Edinaya Rossiya (United Russia) to be taken against founder and editor Sergey Mihajlov of the independent newspaper “Saratovskiy reporter” (“Saratov Reporter”).
Mihajlov told CJES that the action was initiated in response to the article “Privatization of authority”, published in the February issue of the newspaper. The article described the activity of the Saratov branch of the party. It explained how career advancement in the region is possible only when one is a party cardholder,” said Mihajlov. In particular, party indignation was caused by the following lines from the article: “In Saratov, Edinaya Rossiya is a party of careerists and conformists”. Members of the party are demanding the right to publish a refutation, an apology, and a 500,000 ruble (approx. US$18,000) fine as moral indemnification for their offended honor.
In the judicial session, both parties have presented the testimony of expert-philologists, to support their contrasting interpretations of a phrase in the article found offensive to party members.
The claimant’s expert – a senior lecturer from the Faculty for the Russian Language in the Saratov State University, Ms. Marina Yagubova – perceives direct insult in the words.
On the other hand, the linguistic and stylistic analysis conducted by a Doctor of Philology of the Pedagogical Institute at the same university, Mr. Konstantin Sedov, shows that “the text does not discredit the reputation of the claimant. The analyzed phrase carries a negative estimation expressed by normative language and consequently it can not be considered an insult”.
The court, after listening to the experts, has appointed the next judicial session for 4 July. “The day before court, I and my lawyer discussed the conditions of a settlement with the claimants. We were ready to settle; however, their conditions seemed strange to us. The claimant agrees to drop the material indemnification if ‘Saratovskiy Reporter’ undertakes to not publish critical articles about the activity of the party up to the end of year. This condition was not clear to us. Does it mean that they cannot be criticized until 31 December, and right after 1 January it will be possible again?” commented Mihajlov.
In Mihajlov’s opinion, the legal action is a reaction to the generally critical orientation of the newspaper in the midst of a sensitive political situation in the region.
Mihajlov also stated that he has learned the following fact from the “Kommersant – Volgograd” newspaper, published on 16 June: that the Secretary of Edinaya Rossiya’s political council presidium, Mr. Vyacheslav Volodin, has initiated a new action against “Saratovskiy Reporter”. This time, the action is in response to a 16 May article entitles “From a member of Edinaya Rossiya to SOS”).
The article asserted that “there is an impression that the region is governed not by the Governor Ipatov, who’s a competent professional, but by Volodin, the professional manipulator.” Volodin is demanding that the newspaper publish a refutation and that Mihajlov pay him compensation in the amount of 500,000 rubles (approx. US$18,000). Mihajlov has been told that Volodin and his lawyers are planning to submit his demands to the regional Office of the Public Prosecutor and may press criminal charges against Mihajlov for insult and slander.
Already on 19 June, more than ten editors of the Saratov media have signed an appeal requesting protection for freedom of speech; the petition will be released at a special press conference within the next few days. In addition, a notice was submitted to the mayoralty on 22 June, announcing the plan for a demonstration to take place near the building of the regional Duma, in which representatives of the main regional media are planning to participate.
