UK Sunday Times
The UK Sunday Times newspaper has retracted one of their reports about the Alexander Litvininenko case. In their retraction, the Sunday Times admits to repeating baseless allegations against Julia Svetlichnaja, a Russian graduate student who interviewed Alexander Litvinenko a few months before he died from polonium-210 poisoning.
Correction: Our report on the investigation into the death of Alexander Litvinenko (“Kremlin wants to quiz exiles”, December 10, 2006) referred to reports that Julia Svetlichnaja, a researcher at the centre for the Study of Democracy at Westminster University, may have been part of a Kremlin-orchestrated campaign to discredit Mr Litvinenko and said it was believed that she had previously worked for a state-owned Russian company. We are happy to make it clear that Ms Svetlichnaja has never worked for a state-owned Russian company and we accept that she was not part of any Kremlin-inspired campaign to discredit Mr Litvinenko. We apologise for any distress our report caused her.
Click on the extended post to read the press release from Ms. Svetlichinaya's lawyers and more background on the libel suit. (Hat tip: the ZheZhe.us blog)
Julia Svetlichnaya (left) and a friend
Photo from the Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster, London
Julia Svetlichnaja wins libel action against the Sunday Times
March 16, 200
London - The Sunday Times has printed a formal retraction of the Svetlichnaja allegations and has today in Open Court, at the Royal Courts of Justice apologised for the untrue claims that were published about her and the distress that the comments caused her. They have in addition agreed to pay damages and legal costs.
STATEMENT IN OPEN COURT
Claimant's representative: My Lord, I appear on behalf of Miss Julia Svetlichnaja and my colleague, Ms. Gillian Phillips, appears on behalf of Times Newspapers Limited, publisher of The Sunday Times.
Miss Svetlichnaja is a researcher and PhD student at the Centre for Study of Democracy at Westminster University, and author of a proposed book on Russian affairs which will include material about the death of Alexander Litvinenko. In researching the book she had interviewed Mr Litvinenko and, after his death, she gave interview[s] to the press about him.
On 10 December 2006 The Sunday Times published an article concerning the investigation of the death of Mr Litvinenko. In the course of the article, it was suggested that there may have been a Kremlin-orchestrated campaign to discredit Mr Litvinenko. In this context, Miss Svetlichnaja was named as someone who had been employed by a state-owned Russian company, giving rise to an implication that she may have been acting as part of this campaign.
These allegations against Miss Svetlichnaja were entirely without foundation. She has no connection with the Kremlin; She has never been employed by a state-owned Russian company; if there was a Kremlin-orchestrated campaign to discredit Mr Litvinenko she was certainly not part of it.
The allegations amounted to a slur on Miss Svetlichnaja's reputation and integrity, and have caused her considerable distress.
The Sunday Times has recognised that the references to Miss Svetlichnaja in the article were wrong, and appear here today to associate themselves with this statement and to apologise to my client. They have also agreed to pay her damages and her legal costs.
Defendant's representative: On behalf of the Defendant I wish to endorse all that has been said by my friend on behalf of Miss Svetlichnaja and to express The Sunday Times' regret that these untrue allegations about her were published.
Steven Heffer, Partner at Collyer Bristow LLP commented, "These allegations against Miss Svetlichnaja were entirely without foundation and amounted to a slur on her reputation and integrity, and caused her considerable distress. In such an important and highly complex investigation with world-wide interest as the Litvinenko case, it is imperative that those involved receive proper and fair representation in the press. I am delighted for my client with today's result".
Background
On 10 December 2006 The Sunday Times published an article concerning the investigation of the death of Mr Litvinenko. In the course of the article, it was suggested that there may have been a Kremlin-orchestrated campaign to discredit Mr Litvinenko. In this context, Miss Svetlichnaja was named as someone who had been employed by a state-owned Russian company, giving rise to an implication that she may have been acting as part of this campaign. These allegations against Miss Svetlichnaja were entirely without foundation.
Julia Svetlichnaja is a researcher and PhD student at the Centre for Study of Democracy at Westminster University, and author of a proposed book on Russian affairs which will include accounts of her dealings with Alexander Litvinenko.
Link to the UK Press Gazette's article about the legal settlement.
Click here to read emails from Julia Svetlichnaja to the ZheZhe.us blog responding to her critics.
Read more background on the case at the ZheZhe.us blog.
Read more Russia Blog posts for background on the Alexander Litvinenko case at the links below, or scroll down through the Crime section at www.russiablog.org/crime:
Was Alexander Litvinenko the Victim of a Botched Polonium Smuggling Operation?
Litvinenko's Italian Contact Arrested
Witnesses: Litvinenko Needed Money
German Police Suspect Polonium Smuggling Ring
NYU Professor Stephen Cohen Speaks Out About Litvinenko Case on PBS Charlie Rose Show
Alexander Litvinenko: A Made for TV Murder?
Who Poisoned Alexander Litvinenko?
