(CJES/IFEX) – Bailiffs seized the property of Georgy Borodyansky, a reporter for the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”, in Omsk on 14 February 2007, the radio station Ekho Moskvy reported. The seizure was made on the orders of the Omsk Kuibyshevsky District Court, which ruled in favour of the lawsuit filed by Omsk region’s governor, Leonid Polezhayev, […]
(CJES/IFEX) – Bailiffs seized the property of Georgy Borodyansky, a reporter for the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”, in Omsk on 14 February 2007, the radio station Ekho Moskvy reported. The seizure was made on the orders of the Omsk Kuibyshevsky District Court, which ruled in favour of the lawsuit filed by Omsk region’s governor, Leonid Polezhayev, against “Novaya Gazeta” and Borodyansky in mid-January.
The lawsuit was filed over an article by Borodyansky published in the 27 November 2006 edition of the newspaper, which Polezhayev considered to be defamatory to him. The plaintiff initially estimated the moral damages done to him at 500,000 rubles (approx. US$19,000), but the court later lowered it to 60,000 rubles (approx. US$2,300).
The plaintiffs have seized everything except for books and chairs, Borodyansky told Ekho Moskvy. He added that the value of the property was considerably underestimated; the value of the journalist’s new computer, TV set, and entertainment center was set at only 6,300 rubles (approx. US$640).
Although the bailiffs were acting on the basis of a document that gave them the right to seize property, not all Borodyansky’s property could be seized. Under Russian legislation, property not subject to seizure includes essential goods, furniture, personal hygiene items, and also things needed for the debtor’s work. The seized computer is required for the journalist’s work and therefore should not have been seized. In addition, Borodyansky’s lawyer believes the seizure of property could have been avoided if Borodyansky had been given a copy of the court ruling and if he had been given the opportunity to contest it in a timely manner.
Borodyansky told Ekho Moskvy that his lawyer intends to appeal, but has not been able to get a photocopy of the case materials. This contradicts Russian civil legislation and suggests that the journalist is deliberately being persecuted.
The journalist also said that “Novaya Gazeta” has not been sold in Omsk newsstands for a month.
