Berezovsky Wins London High Court Libel Suit
The BBC is reporting that Boris Berezovsky has won his High Court libel case against Russian TV channel RTR Planeta. He was awarded £150,000 ($224,000) in damages. The broadcast in question suggested that Alexander Litvinenko had witnessed an attempt by Mr Berezovsky to avoid extradition and obtain political asylum by obtaining false evidence. He was alleged to have procured the false account - that there was a security service plot to kill him - from a Vladimir Terluk.
In the same programme, The Guardian reports, the presenter suggested that Litvinenko was killed at Berezovsky's behest because Litvinenko was a witness to Berezovsky's fraudulent claim for political asylum.In his ruling, Mr Justice Eady told the court in London: "I can say unequivocally that there is no evidence before me that Mr Berezovsky had any part in the murder of Mr Litvinenko ... Nor, for that matter, do I see any basis for reasonable grounds to suspect him of it."
The two-week trial was almost anarchic at times as officials from the Russian prosecutors' office repeatedly intervened despite not being party to proceedings. So obvious was their intention that when one of their mobile phones went off in court one day, Desmond Browne, QC, quipped: "That must be Mr Putin on the line." One of the Russian prosecutors admitted to the Guardian he hoped Berezovsky would lose the case so his asylum status would be called into question by the Home Office and he would be returned to Russia to face trial.
RIA Novosti adds that the Russian broadcaster said it would appeal the verdict because of “procedural violations”. In early February, the channel officially stated that it will not recognize any court rulings on this case and will appeal them up to the European Court, saying the court process that started in the London's High Court early last week was "biased" and "politically tinted."