MOSCOW, June 27 - RAPSI. A district Court in Moscow has postponed until July 16 its preliminary hearing of the Federation charity funds defamation lawsuit against the Dozhd TV channel, the plaintiffs' representative told the Russian Legal Information Agency on Wednesday.

The representative said the judge was not in the position to hear the case on its merits as a defendant had not been notified. The preliminary hearing was set for July 16.

The fund went to court after the channel made unfavorable comments about a 2010 charity party attended by then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Putin sang and played the piano at the event.

The comments were broadcast during the "Here and Now" program on March 15.

Two channel employees will act as co-defendants.

The plaintiff has not sought monetary damages.

However, the mother of a girl suffering from cancer published in March 2011 an open letter claiming that she had not received the financial aid promised at the party.

It later turned out that various hospitals had not received their money either.

The fund later stated that the concert was only held to draw attention to sick children and the medical institutions treating them.

Nevertheless, the money was still paid to the hospitals after the scandal.

The press coverage of the events has given rise to numerous lawsuits.