On September 23, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court in Kyiv ruled in favor of Andriy Portnov, a former top official in ex-President Viktor Yanukovych’s administration, in a defamation case against several news outlets, including the Kyiv Independent. Portnov had challenged a reference to him as a “pro-Russian” politician and a person “infamous for his open support for Russia.”
The lawsuit was filed in response to an investigative report by journalist Glib Kanievskyi, which was published in several news outlets, including the Kyiv Independent, in September 2023. The report highlighted the fact that while Ukrainian officials impose sanctions on petty pro-Russian politicians, they ignore the most high-profile ones. Portnov was listed as one of the examples, as he is under sanctions in the U.S. but not in Ukraine.
Portnov, who is known for being litigious, is a lawyer and was added to the U.S. sanctions list in 2021 over allegations of corruption in Ukraine, particularly in the judiciary. The U.S. Treasury website stated that Portnov “cultivated extensive connections to Ukraine’s judicial and law enforcement apparatus through bribery” and was “widely known as a court fixer.”
From 2010 to 2014, Portnov served in the administration of then-President Yanukovych. After Yanukovych and his administration were ousted in February 2014, Ukrainian authorities investigated Portnov’s activities as part of several criminal cases, including one related to high treason and his alleged involvement in the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. However, the case was closed in 2019. According to media reports, Portnov currently does not reside in Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent’s Chief Editor Olga Rudenko and other defendants plan to appeal the ruling. Rudenko stated that it is ironic that an ex-official who was sanctioned for allegedly having undue influence over Ukrainian courts has won a case against journalists.
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