MOSCOW, January 20 - RAPSI. A court upheld earlier judgments awarding a construction investor $1.7 million in lawsuit against the Moscow government, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Friday.

The Moscow District Federal Commercial Court said that both the plaintiff and the defendant appealed the lower courts' decisions. The Pushkinsky Center&K, a plaintiff in the case, required satisfying its suit in full, while the Moscow government sought to dismiss the claim and to terminate the investment contract.

The Moscow Commercial Court partially held for the Pushkinsky Center&K's 53 million ruble ($1.7 million) suit on August 16, 2011. The appeals court affirmed the decision on September 30, 2011. The Moscow authorities later challenged the judgments.

The Pushkinsky Center&K initially claimed to nullify the investment contract with the Moscow government and to recover from it 783.4 million rubles ($24.88 million) in compensation for losses.

Former Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov signed a decree in October 2002 for the construction of a multi-purpose center as a part of a plan to develop Moscow Pushkin Drama Theater.

The Pushkinsky Center&K was a co-investor in the project. The multi-purpose center was to accommodate cultural and residential rooms, including theater stage, rehearsal rooms, administration rooms, underground parking area and living quarters.

However, the Moscow government decided to terminate the investment contract on September 15, 2009.