Former Yanunovych government official Andriy Portnov suffered a major setback Thusday after Ukraine’s Supreme Court dismissed his defimation case targeting ‘European Solidarity’ party.  In his case, Portnov cited claims by one of the party MPs in previous parliament t implied one of his companies took over ‘NewsOne’ TV channel.

In a Wednesday statement ‘European Solidarity’ welcome the court decision  doubling down on its stance against ‘NewsOne’  messages and narratives.

 

‘The ‘Bloc of Petro Poroshenko’ group in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine once again expresses its indignation at the anti-state orientation of the ‘NewsOne’ TV channel, which is becoming increasingly anti-Ukrainian, resorting to manipulative means and distorting the real facts of Ukraine’s social and political life. The dynamics of anti-Ukrainian sentiment on the TV channel has recently become more and more widespread, and ‘NewsOne’ is increasingly rebroadcasting the Kremlin’s ideas.

The final fact that the ‘NewsOne’ TV channel became part of the Kremlin’s propaganda machine was that the management of the TV channel was handed over to Portnov.

The transfer of a Ukrainian TV channel into the hands of a fugitive, Yanukovych’s ally, who is suspected of involvement in crimes against participants in the Revolution of Dignity, the occupation of Crimea and treason threatens Ukraine’s national security, an integral part of which is information security.’

 

The Supreme Court denied Portnov’s claims because the statement did not constitute an offense.

After losing the court case the former Yanukovych senior will aslo have to cover all legal costs.