Journalist Alexander Baranov was acquitted in libel case

On May 11, 2016 Judge of City Court №2 of Pavlodar Duman Serikbaev has awarded judgment of acquittal with regard to journalist of newspaper “Gorodskaya Nedelya” Alexander Baranov, who was charged with slander.

We would like to remind you that, at the end of February, 2016 Ex Director of LLP "Neftechim Ltd" Erlan Kusanov has filed a suit against Alexander Baranov and charged him with slander under article 130 "Slander" p.2 of Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He stated, that in one of his commentaries, A. Baranov spread slanderous information. It was connected with accident at the factory. Some persons were hurt in the accident. And one of the floors produced uncounted production. "Having a guess A. Baranov accused Erlan Kusanov in commission of criminally punishable acts, especially, in theft of property and funds of factory".

Erlan Kusanov has also filed civil suit and demanded to impose Alexander Baranov on recovery of KZT10000000 as moral damage compensation.

The journalist Alexander Baranov did not agree with charge with regard to him.The explosion which took a place in the floor of factory caused a massive public outcry and he also, participated in discussion of this accident. Alexander Baranov is a journalist and he works with a vast number of information and can not keep it in his mind. After a short time, A. Baranov removed his posts he could not remember his commentaries word for word in social network. The plaintiff has given scans of pages in evidence, where guilt of A. Baranov was acknowledged supposedly. In Baranov's opinion it was impossible (in particularly, there some special programs with the help of them scans could be changed).

The court has acquitted A. Baranov. The criminal case in relation to A. Baranov was terminated owing to the absence of elements of a crime in his actions. The judge D. Serikbaev has dismissed satisfaction of civil suit of E. Kusanov on recovery and compensation of moral damage, court costs for services of judicial representative. The judgment did not still become effective; it could be appealed within fifteen days.