MOSCOW, August 4 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) - On Tuesday, the Moscow City Court dismissed an appeal by the publisher of the newspaper Zavtra in a Greenpeace Russia anti-defamation lawsuit regarding an issue released 16 years ago, Zavtra’s attorney Dmitry Agranovsky told RAPSI.

The lawsuit was filed in relation to a 1999 article in Zavtra entitled Greenpeace Nets that is critical of the organization’s activities. The Khamovnichesky District Court of Moscow ruled in favor of Greenpeace and ordered the newspaper to publish a retraction and pay 4,900 rubles ($78) in legal expenses.

According to Agranovsky, the Moscow City Court ruling was unjustified because the newspaper, not its current publisher, was the defendant in the case. The current publisher cannot be held liable for what was published 16 years ago. He also cannot influence the media outlet’s past editorial policy.

The attorney said he intends to seek an end to Greenpeace Russia activity.