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The Darnytsia District Court in Kiev ordered the author of the book The Case of Vasily Stus Vakhtang Kipiani and the Vivat publishing house to remove information about Viktor Medvedchuk from the book.
Another legal scandal in Ukraine. This time for the book about the Ukrainian poet Vasily Stus. Stus’s public defender when he was tried in the Soviet Union was Viktor Medvedchuk, now a people’s deputy and one of the leaders of the Opposition Platform For Life party.
Medvedchuk is often accused of violating legal ethics during this process. He himself does not admit his guilt.
The politician filed a lawsuit against the author of the book The Case of Vasily Stus Vakhtang Kipiani and the Vivat publishing house, which published the book. According to Medvedchuk, the book contains false phrases and formulations that violate his honor and dignity and damage his reputation.
The court agreed with these assertions: it decided to remove from the book some passages where Medvedchuk is mentioned and prohibited the publication of the publication. The court’s decision caused a real scandal in the country.
Court position
The court recognized excerpts from the book as false information and in violation of Medvedchuk’s personal non-property rights to respect for honor and dignity, and the inviolability of business reputation.
In particular, the following fragments were banned:
– on page 661 – “it is a fact that the lawyer provided, supported by state security, was called Viktor Medvedchuk”,
– on page 664 – “Medvedchuk admitted in court that all” crimes “allegedly committed by his client” deserve punishment “,
– on page 664 – “actually supported the prosecution. Why prosecutors when there are such reliable lawyers?”
– on page 7 – “the lawyer appointed by the state Medvedchuk crucified the poet”,
– on page 663 – “the six of the communist system, lawyer Medvedchuk”,
– on page 664 – “lawyer Medvedchuk committed a crime against the poet by not informing his family about the start of the case.”
it should be noted that Kipiani’s book is made up of 90% archival documents… The author’s opinion is based on facts that are contained, among other things, in the factual part of the book.
Author and editor position
The Vivat publishing house decided to appeal the decision of the Darnytsia district court.
“This trial is direct and obvious proof that the case that Stus was fighting for was not completed. We were prepared for such a decision, because it would be naive to expect that in the fight against such a rival, we will win immediately. Instead, no We are hoping to be so close to the times when Vasily Stus’s own trial took place. We were hoping times would have changed. We made a difficult financial decision, but quite understandable for us from a moral point of view, to go to the Court of Appeals. The request will be sent as soon as we receive the full text of the court’s decision, “the editor said in a statement.
Reverse effect
After Medvedchuk’s victory at court, the book The Case of Vasily Stus sold out in an hour.
“In an hour, the book The Case of Vasily Stus is sold out again. All warehouses are empty,” hello “to Putin’s godfather. But there will be a new print run again! Therefore, I advise you to order in the website of the Vivat publishing house or write to me on the messenger. These requests will be sent first. We will appeal this shameful decision of Judge Zastavenko. His voice was shaking, it was probably a shame, “said the author of the book Vakhtang Kipiani.
The new print run will be reprinted until the court’s decision takes effect, provisionally, until November 2.
19,900 books have already been distributed. The additional circulation will be 3,500 copies. The retail price of the book is 260 hryvnia.
It’s not the first time
In 2018, all references to Viktor Medvedchuk were removed from the script of the film Forbidden (Zaboronenii) about Vasily Stus. According to the participants of the filming, the producers were called “from the Medvedchuk administration” and demanded to remove the scene of the poet’s trial. After the scandal, the film crew decided to complete the seized judicial scene with the participation of lawyer Stus.
The story of Stus
Stus was a Soviet dissident. The first time he was arrested in 1972. He was charged with anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda. After serving five years in prison in Mordovia and two years in exile in the Magadan region, the poet returned to Kiev in September 1979, where he continued his activities, speaking with the support of Western organizations in defense of prisoners of conscience.
In the early 1980s, Stus was arrested a second time. Later, the young lawyer Medvedchuk, later a Ukrainian politician, was appointed his lawyer. In November 1980, Stus was sent to a special regime camp, where he died on September 4, 1985.
Subsequently, Medvedchuk excused himself that the role of a lawyer in such proceedings in the USSR was minimal and he could not save Stus.
