MOSCOW, September 28 - RAPSI. The Moscow Commercial Court has set October 31 as the hearing date for owner of Basic Element Holding Company and aluminum giant RUSAL Oleg Deripaska's defamation claim, against Agentstvo Politicheskikh Novostey (Agency of Political News), the founder of the online news agency of the same name, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) Friday.

The lawsuit was filed on August 1. Oleg Sudakov, journalist for the site, is the second co-defendant in the lawsuit. The defendants did not take part in the preliminary hearings.

In discussing the matter with RIA Novosti, Basic Element had previously confirmed that the lawsuit had been lodged but gave no comments. The agency has also yet to obtain comments from the defendants.

One of Sudakov's stories published in October 2011 mentions Deripaska in connection with the tragic death of Achinsk Alimina Refinery trade union leader. RAPSI, however, has received no confirmation that the lawsuit is centered on this point.

BasEl is a major Russian business group with assets in energy, engineering, construction, aircraft, agriculture, the financial sector and other areas.