MOSCOW, February 27, 2004. (RIA Novosti). Candidate for the post of president of Russia Irina Khakamada intends to file a defamation suit in court against Speaker of the Federation Council Sergei Mironov who is also running for the president and is being considered by many analysts as a backup candidate, as well as appeal to the Prosecutor General demanding that criminal proceedings be instituted against Mr.Mironov under the "libel" article.
As Ms. Khakamada asserts, today during the TV debates Mr.Mironov said addressing to her: "Your election campaign is financed by criminals (a hint on the YUKOS company, the ex-head of which Mikhail Khodorkovsky is in custody waiting for a court hearing). When you become president what will you do for those people to return to their homeland?" "A citizen may be considered a criminal only after the court's ruling comes into force. That is why I intend to file a defamation suit. I do not rule out that that such lawsuits can be filed also by those citizens of Russia who had donated money to my election fund," the statement says.
