The Moscow Arbitration Court did not explain why it rejected The Moscow Times' appeal of its Oct. 22 ruling. A written copy of its decision is expected to be released in a few days.
Moscow Times publisher Ekaterina Son said the newspaper's lawyers would wait to read the ruling but would most likely file an appeal to a higher court. The next court is the Constitutional Court.
Prokhorov sued his former business partner Vladimir Potanin and United Press, the publisher of The Moscow Times, in July over an interview in which Potanin told The Moscow Times that Prokhorov had "promised" to sell a stake in Norilsk Nickel to him and billionaire Alisher Usmanov and to buy his stake in Polyus Gold, "but he avoided doing this."
Moscow Times reporter Nadia Popova, who took the interview with Potanin in April, was later added to the lawsuit.
Prokhorov's lawyer told the court in October that the phrase "promised but avoided doing this" paints Prokhorov as "an unreliable partner," damaging his reputation in business circles.
Potanin's lawyers have argued that the disputed phrase in the interview was in fact true because Prokhorov had proceeded to sell his stake in Norilsk Nickel to Oleg Deripaska's RusAl in April in violation of the protocol.
Potanin has also been ordered to pay a fine of 1,000 rubles.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.