Lawyer Andriy Portnov wins lawsuit against ‘Censor’ editor-in-chief Butusov, who called him a pro-Russian politician

Lawyer Andriy Portnov won a court case against Yuriy Butusov, the editor-in-chief of the publication “Censor.Net.”

The Darnytskyi District Court of Kyiv ruled that the information Butusov published on Facebook was false and ordered him to publish a retraction on the same platform within five days and to pay 78,000 UAH (nearly 1,800 euros) in compensation. This amount includes 70,000 UAH for the plaintiff’s legal expenses, 4,500 UAH for attorney fees, and 3,600 UAH for court fees.

At the beginning of 2024, Butusov described Portnov as “connected with the Russian Federation” and a “pro-Russian politician.” In court, Butusov claimed that these were “value judgments” based on “publications on the Internet and media websites.”

However, the court concluded that Butusov’s statement was a factual assertion that “does not correspond to reality and should be recognized as false.”