MOSCOW, August 26 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Ostankinsky District Court has granted on Tuesday a defamation lawsuit filed by Rosneft Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin against Russia's leading business newspaper Vedomosti, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

The lawsuit was filed after Vedomosti published an editoral by its deputy editor Kirill Kharatyan about Rosneft CEO’s influence on Russian economy and  state officials.

Sechin’s attorney said during proceedings that the right to freedom of expression does not justify violation of other rights, including the right to protection of honour and reputation.

Vedomosti claimed that public figures should be more tolerant of the criticism they face, especially when it is the matter of public interest. The newspaper asked the court to protect its rights to freedom of speech.

The court ordered Vedomosti retract the statements about Sechin implied in the disputed editorial.

Sechin claimed no financial compensation.

Anna Kryuchkova, an attorney for Vedomosti, told RAPSI that an appeal will be filed against the ruling.

Last month, Sechin sued Forbes Russia and  Komsomolskaya Pravda daily for calling him the best-paid top manager in Russia. His 2013 salary was estimated at $50 million. On August 1, Moscow’s Savyolovsky District Court granted the suit and ordered both newspapers retract the statements.