Vsim.ua wins the appeal in the lawsuit by a Khmelnytskyi City Council official

The Khmelnytskyi Court of Appeal heard the appeal filed by the local media outlet Vsim.ua (Mediaholding "Vsim") and granted it, overruling the first instance court's judgement and the supplemental ruling in the defamation lawsuit by the Khmelnytskyi deputy mayor Vasyl Novachok.

The court of appeal passed its judgement on August 27, 2024, reports Alyona Bereza, the Institute of Mass Information representative in the oblast who attended the hearing.

The court also rejected the plaintiff's claim and charged hem nearly 2.5 thousand hryvnias in court fees.

The Khmelnytskyi Court of Appeal hears the lawsuit against vsim.ua filed by Vasyl Novachok. Photo by Alyona Bereza

Upon their exit from the deliberation room, the panel of judges only announced the resolution part of the ruling; the full text will be prepared within five days, starting the day after the announcement of the summary judgment.

The resolution enters into force on the day it was passed and can be appealed in the cassation procedure within 30 days after the full court ruing is drawn up.

Khmelnytskyi deputy mayor Vasyl Novachok (front) and his attorney (back). Photo by Alyona Bereza

In late May, the Khmelnytsky District Court satisfied part of the lawsuit filed by the Khmelnytsky Deputy Mayor Vasyl Novachok against the local media outlet Vsim.ua. The court ruled that the information in the outlet's article was unreliable and violated the plaintiff's non-property rights to respect for honor, dignity and inviolability of business reputation. The court also ordered the publication to delete the article and retract the information reported in it in the same way in which it was distributed, and to formally apologize. The media outlet must also pay the plaintiff 5 thousand hryvnias in moral damages.

On June 13, 2024 the court passed a supplemental judgement in the case, satisfying the plaintiff's claim for moral damages compensation in part and ruled to charge the media outlet 20,000 hryvnias in legal fees and over 2,200 hryvnias for trial expenses.