A Moscow court ruled Friday that the Greek publisher of Pravda has no right to the property, archives or trademark of the newspaper, according to a group of Pravda journalists who have staged a year-long battle against the publisher for control of the former Soviet propaganda organ.


The court could not be reached for confirmation Friday evening. But the journalists, led by former editor Viktor Linnik, who was ousted in February, are claiming a broad victory.


They say the court decision proves that the Greek ownership -- Yiannis Yiannikos, president of Pravda International which finances the newspaper, and his son, Christos -- has illegally taken over Pravda and will shortly be forced to turn it over to them.


The extended conflict pits two flamboyant characters against each other.


The fiery Linnik has called Greek ownership of the former Communist newspaper a "threat to national security" and a sign of growing "foreign diktat" over the Russian press.


The elder Yiannikos, who says he did business with the Soviet Union for 30 years, raised eyebrows worldwide in 1991 when he entered into partnership with Linnik's predecessors. The paper's circulation was 11 million during its Soviet heyday but it has slipped to 70,000. Vadim Gorshenin, one of the pro-Linnik journalists, said that the Savyolovsky court Friday rejected an attempt by Yiannikos to sue for ownership of Pravda's trademark and property and for "founder" status, which would have consolidated control.


Yiannikos and Pravda's current editor, Alexander Ilyin, who supports him, could not be reached Friday.


The decision could affect two American companies that both say that Pravda International sold them the valuable rights to reproduce the newspaper's archives on microfilm.