Presidential ideologist wins court battle against opposition newspaper

Aleh Pralyaskouski, Belarus's "main ideologist", has won a court battle against the Narodnaya Volya newspaper and journalist Maryna Koktysh. He is to be paid Br25 million ($11,600) in moral damages. The newspaper has been ordered to pay Br25 million, while the journalist is fined with Br2 million. The judge of the Leninski district court in Minsk read out the ruling on October 1, the birthday of both Pralyaskouski and Joseph Siaredzich, the editor-in-chief of Narodnaya Volya. Aleh Pralyaskouski serves as the chief of the main ideological department at the Presidential Administration.

The high-ranking official sued the newspaper over the article in Narodnaya Volya titled "Uladzimir Kholad Still Remains in Confinment Cell" that came out in early August. The last paragraph of the story wrote about the rumors that "Uladzimir Kholad took the money for someone eles" and also about "his special relations with his immediate chief Aleh Pralyaskouski".

The "main ideologist" claimed that his honor and business reputation was damaged and demanded a material compensation of Br30 million. In case of victory in court, he promised to transfer the money to children's institutions. Narodnaya Volya is set to appeal the ruling in a higher court within 10 days, reports Salidarnasc.