MOSCOW, June 27 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) - Deputy Moscow Mayor Maxim Liksutov, the head of the city's transportation department, who filed a libel suit against opposition activist Alexei Navalny claims one million rubles (up to $30,000) in damages, attorney Vadim Kobzev who is familiar with the suit told journalists Friday.

“Liksutov’s libel suit would force Navalny and his fellow-activist Georgy Alburov, and the Anti-Corruption Foundation to pay one million rubles. The plaintiff is also seeking compensation for legal costs in the amount of 500,000 rubles ($14,800),” Kobzev said.

In his lawsuit, Liksutov requested the court grant a closed hearing in case any personal details or confidential information regarding his work is divulged.

The pre-trial hearing will take place at the Lyublinsky District Court in Moscow on July 3.

Navalny wrote in his blog that Liksutov and his wife owned assets abroad. The city's transportation department claimed that to be false and said that Liksutov complied fully with the federal law.

Liksutov says he signed the documents to sell his shares of Intellectico Holding Limited, an offshore company in Cyprus, in December 2012.

Alexei Navalny is an opposition politician and public leader, and head of the Party of Progress. He participated in the 2013 mayoral election in Moscow and runs one of the most popular sociopolitical blogs, which was put on the list of prohibited sources after allegedly encouraging people to participate in unauthorized public events.

Navalny has also been implicated in several criminal cases. Currently, he is on house arrest under an embezzlement case involving Yves Rocher Vostok, the company’s East Europe subsidiary that sued Alexei Navalny and his brother for fraud and money laundering.

Navalny denies the charges and says the allegations are politically motivated.