Trial on the case "Krasnenkov vs. Memorial" postponed on claimant's request

The court session on the lawsuit of the representative of the head of Chechnya Andrei Krasnenkov against the Human Rights Centre "Memorial" on protection of his business reputation, to be held today at the Tver Court of Moscow, did not take place. Mr Krasnenkov asked to postpone the trial.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Krasnenkov had filed a civil lawsuit because of the publication about him on the website of the "Memorial". The lawyer demanded to recognize five statements contained in the article "Representative of Ramzan Kadyrov misinforms journalists" as slanderous.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by Sergey Davidis, representing the interests of the "Memorial" at the trial, that claimant Krasnenkov moved a motion to postpone the consideration of the case until he makes his presentation as representative of the victim Ramzan Kadyrov at the criminal trial against the head of the "Memorial" Oleg Orlov accused of slandering Kadyrov.

Thus, the court session on Krasnenkov's civil lawsuit will be held no earlier than February 9, since February 8 is the day to continue Mr Orlov's criminal trial. However, most likely, Andrei Krasnenkov's performance at the criminal process will take place not on February 8, but at later sessions; therefore, the consideration of his claim to the "Memorial" will start later, perhaps only in March, said Sergey Davidis.

He added that the HRC "Memorial", in its turn, filed a lawsuit against Andrei Krasnenkov also towards protection of business reputation. In particular, the HRC asks to recognize Krasnenkov's statements in his interviews with the press that Orlov and employees of the HRC "Memorial" tried to falsify some of the material submitted by them at the civil trial "Kadyrov vs. Orlov" in autumn 2009.