MOSCOW, October 21 (RAPSI) - The Lyublinsky District Court in Moscow on Wednesday granted a defamation lawsuit filed by the Kostroma branch of the Yabloko party against opposition politician Alexei Navalny, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

Navalny was ordered to refute his statements about the branch of the party.

Initially, the plaintiff demanded the publication of a refutation and collection of 1 million rubles ($16,000) in compensation from Navalny. However, during the court hearing the party’s branch abandoned claim for financial compensation.

The party’s press service explained earlier that the Kostroma office objects to Navalny’s comments on the upcoming elections in Kostroma. He allegedly said that the local Yabloko party had been bought by an oligarch who recently left United Russia and the party’s campaign will be dedicated to choking opposition using this oligarch’s money.

The party representatives believe that speaking about the oligarch, the opposition leader meant Vladimir Mikhailov, Yabloko’s leading member in the Kostroma Region. “He is not an oligarch and neither did he buy Yabloko. Moreover, Mikhailov left United Russia four years ago,” the press service stated.

Before filing the lawsuit, Yabloko ordered a linguistic examination that confirmed the negative connotation of the statement. The examination results have been attached to the claim.

Last April, it was announced that People's Freedom Party (RPR-PARNAS) and Alexei Navalny’s Progress Party agreed to present their candidates as a single list at the elections in the next two years, including the 2016 State Duma elections. Three more parties joined the coalition: Democratic Choice, December 5 Party and the Libertarian Party of Russia. The coalition nominates its candidates under PARNAS. This year, opposition participated in the elections in the Kaluga, Kostroma, Magadan and Novosibirsk regions. However, only one list of candidates, in the Kostroma Region, was registered.