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Panel of Supreme Economic Court upholds ruling on libel suit against Narodnaya Volya

An appeals panel of the Supreme Economic Court of Belarus on July 5 upheld a decision by a judge of the Court to order the private newspaper Narodnaya Volya to publish a correction of an article deemed libelous.

The article branded Belarusian Television's documentary about the December 19 post-election protest as a Goebbels-style "propaganda masterpiece."

The Belarusian State Television and Radio Company responded to the article with a libel suit, accusing Narodnaya Volya of damaging its business reputation and the author, Deputy Editor in Chief Svyatlana Kalinkina, of failing to substantiate her allegations.

The defendant’s lawyer responded to the panel’s ruling with applause and congratulated the judges on the “yet another non-judicial decision,” Ms. Kalinkina said.

“This decision is usual, but it runs counter to the law because the constitution of Belarus guarantees freedom of opinion and emphatically provides that nobody may be compelled to change his opinion,” she said. “Nonetheless, the Supreme Economic Court tries to make me deny my own thoughts.”

Under regulations, Narodnaya Volya now has to publish a correction, but, according to Ms. Kalinkina, the correction will be accompanied by editorial comments. //BelaPAN