Moscow Red Cross insists its lawsuit against Ukrainian media outlets will be considered by court

Moscow City Council of Appeal settled the claim of Moscow branch of the Red Cross (MB) and obligated Savelovsky rayon court of Moscow to consider MB’s lawsuit against 17 Ukrainian and American media outlets. This was reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the head of Moscow branch of the Red Cross (MB) Igor Trunov.

The lawsuit is in regard of, as Trunov claims, distortion by these media outlets of his words about the situation in Donbas region. It demands 170 mln roubles as compensation for damage to Red Cross’ honor and dignity. 

The situation in question happened in the end of 2014, when at a press conference in Moscow Trunov said that the so-called ‘humanitarian’ convoys of the Ministry of Emergencies of the Russian Federation are actually an invation to the territory of Ukraine and that they could carry arms. Later, Trunov recanted his statement and said that he never said anything like this and he was misunderstood and misinterpreted.

Also, MB submitted a request to the Russian Prosecutor General and to Roskomnadzor to limit Internet access to ‘extreminist web resources’ of the listed American and Ukrainian media outlets. The organization also submitted a request to the Investigative Committee of Russia to launch a criminal investigation under part 2 Article 280 (public calls to extremist actions), part 2 Article 128. 1 (libel) and Article 319 (insult of officer) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

On February 4, Savelovsky rayon court of Moscow dismissed this very lawsuit as these media outlets are out of its jurisdiction.