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Euroasian Jewish News
Moscow Kuntzevskiy court dismissed the case of Alexander Sevastianov, who claimed that he needed protection from Eugene Proshech
22.12.2003
On Dec. 3, the Moscow Kuntzevskiy court dismissed the case of Alexander Sevastianov, who claimed that he needed protection from Eugene Proshechkin, head of the Moscow Antifascist Center (MAC). Kuntzevskiy also claimed that Proshechkin had damaged his honor and dignity.
Sevastianov is one of three co-chairmen of the National Sovereign Party of Russia (NSPR), which was created and registered by the Russian Justice Ministry at the beginning of 2003.
In May 2003, the NSPR was unregistered after its leaders publicly made a series of anti-Semitic statements.
In January 2000, Proshechkin filed a complaint with the Moscow Public Prosecutor, saying that Sevastianov had been engaged in activities that gave rise to national and religious enmity.
In 2000, Sevastianov published a book What Jews Want From Us in which he collected publications from the National newspaper, which he edited. Sevastianov based his book on his own articles “What Do They Want From Us” (National newspaper, special issues №№ 1,3, 1999).
On March 9, Sevastianov was given an official warning, signed by Cherkizova, chief of the Moscow Regional Administration on Press Affairs, for his article. This warning specified that the propagation of “national hatred, enmity and intolerance” is unacceptable.
On July 5, 2000, Sevastianov was given a second official warning for newly published anti-Semitic articles. Sirozhenko, Russian Deputy Minister for Press Affairs, Television and Radio Broadcasting, signed the second warning.
Sevastianov tried to have both warnings dismissed in court, but he failed in both attempts. On July 18, 2001, Moscow City Court rejected Sevastianov's complaint concerning Sirozhenko, and on Nov. 22, 2001, Moscow’s Tverskoy Court rejected Sevastianov's complaint concerning Cherkizova.
Despite all of that, the Public Prosecutors office would not open a criminal case against Sevastianov, saying that it had not found anything criminal in his publications. The Prosecutor Generals office did allow Sevastianov to file a lawsuit against Proshechkin. In his lawsuit, Sevastianov demanded indemnification for moral damages and the harm done to his honor and dignity. In May 2001, Moscow’s Kuntzevskiy court satisfied Sevastianov's claim against Proshechkin, partially.
However, the Moscow City Court overturned Kuntzevskiy Court’s decision and returned to the case for new consideration. During the Kuntzevskiy Court’s second look at the case, an official investigation by the Institute of Russian Language under the Russian Academy of Sciences was conducted on behalf of the defendant.
The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) decided to refund the cost of the examination to Proshechkin. The official inquiry confirmed that Sevastianov in fact portrayed a negative image of Jews and other nationalities and faiths in his publications, which, according to the Law of Russia, promoted the spread of national and religious enmity. The expert report determined that the court should reject Sevastianov’s suit against Proshechkin.
Commenting on the results of the trial to journalists, Alexander Machkevich, the President of the EAJC, said that the antifascist movement has always been one of the most powerful elements in maintaining interethnic and religious peace and understanding.
“We are satisfied with the results of the trial and we are going to support the fair claims of anti-fascists in Moscow and wherever our support is needed,” Machkevich said.
EAJC Public Relations and Media Department
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