MOSCOW, September 18 - RAPSI. The Moscow City Court will hear an appeal on September 20 filed by renowned whistleblower Alexei Navalny against the recovery of 30,000 rubles ($970) in compensation for the ruling United Russia member Vladimir Svirid.

Navalny has asked the court to dismiss the first instance court's ruling, and to dismiss Svirid's claims in full.

An article in Esquire magazine published last December led to the litigation. Svirid asserted that Navalny made a number of negative comments about United Russia party members in the piece. In his lawsuit, he asked the court to force Navalny to refute the statements, as well as remarks made on his LiveJournal page, and also sought 1 million rubles ($32,295) for moral damages. The court partially upheld Svirid's claims.

Since the decision was appealed, it has not yet come into effect.

Attorney Ramil Akhmetgaliyev and legal specialist Damir Gaynutdinov, who are legal analysts at the Agora Interregional Human Rights Association, are representing Navalny's interests in the case.