MOSCOW, June 5 - RAPSI. A Moscow court has obligated renowned whistleblower Alexei Navalny to pay United Russia deputy Vladimir Svirid $1,000 in moral damages as part of a defamation lawsuit.

An article in Esquire magazine, published last December, was the reason for the litigation. Navalny was alleged to have made negative comments on the party members in this text.

The plaintiff requested the court to refute the statements posted by Navalny on his LiveJournal page, as well as claimed one million rubles in compensation ($29,900) for moral damages. The court upheld Svirid's claims in part.

Last year Svirid filed a previous suit with the Lyublinsky Court for the compensation of one million rubles ($29,900) following Navalny's statements regarding United Russia's activity. In October 2011, the district court dismissed the deputy's claims in full.