Ex-Finance Minister Zeinulla Kakimzhanov added Forbes.kz as the second defendant to his lawsuit against Ratel.kz

Preliminary hearing on the suit of ex-Minister of Finance and the State Revenue Zeinulla Kakimzhanov to the Internet portal Ratel.kz began in Almaty on January 16. The plaintiffs - Zeinulla Kakimzhanov  and Ilhalid Kakimzhanov - made additions to their lawsuit. They demanded to name the publisher of website Forbes.kz LLP United Media Group and its deputy chief editor Alexander Vorotilov as defendants on the same lawsuit.

Moreover the plaintiffs’ representative filed the request  to conduct hearing behind closed doors, because the questioned articles disclose information about the plaintiffs’ kinship relationships and social status thus invading privacy. He also demanded discovery of documents related to the paid promotion of the questioned articles in social networks including quantity of likes, reposts, views, and audience coverage.

In his turn, the representative of the Internet portal Ratel.kz said that since the pre-trial claim was received on December 29 and the response time is 30 days. Thus the possibility of pre-trial settlement of the dispute has not been lost, and the claim should be denied.

The judge scheduled the next hearing on January 24, i.e. before the expiry of the pre-trial settlement time.