Judge dismisses Russian billionaire’s suit against AP

(Photo by http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/huvelle-bio.html, Public Domain)

WASHINGTON — A federal judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought against The Associated Press by a Russian billionaire with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle said in a 21-page ruling Tuesday that aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska “does not dispute any material facts” presented by the news co-operative and failed to show that the AP’s March story was published with malice or reckless disregard for the truth.

The AP has stood by the story as accurate and asked in July for the lawsuit to be dismissed, saying that Deripaska was challenging the article based on his own “strained implications” rather than what it actually said.

The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, which means Deripaska cannot bring it again.