‘Hazeta Slonimskaya’ wins the trial

04.07.2008. Tags: administrative trials, freedom of expression, mass media, journalists.
Source: RFE/RL.

The court confessed that the article published by the newspaper concerning the doctor Natallia Kiman was based on real facts which were confirmed by the investigation.

In his article the journalist Siarhei Vasilieu wrote that one of the patients of the dentist Natallia Kiman sued her and exacted from her 700 000 rubles for professional incompetence. Kiman tried to appeal against the verdict, but the cassation instance left it in force.

Nevertheless, the doctor took the opinion that the newspaper article attempted on her honor and dignity. She sued against the newspaper, demanding that Hazeta Slonimskaya disproved the published information. She also demanded from the newspaper And Siarhei Vasilieu 10 million rubles in compensation of the moral harm done. The court turned the suit down.

At the same time, Hazeta Slonimskaya exists without an office for almost a month already. The authorities refuse to prolong the rent agreement and all attempts to find a new office, even rent it from private individuals, fail. Two years ago the newspaper was excluded from the subscription catalog of the Belposhta (Belarusian Post) – the state monopolist, and from the newsstands of another state monopolist, Belsayuzdruk.

This year Hazeta Sloniskaya has become the prize winner of the Zeit Foundation. The prize was given on 19 May at the town hall of Hamburg (Germany).