US Playwright Asks To Dismiss Defamation Suit By Khodorkovsky's Wife - Court Filing

NEW YORK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th July, 2019) Author of the play "Kleptocracy" Kenneth Lin asked a court in Washington to dismiss a defamation suit filed by the wife of Russian businessman Inna Khodorkovskaya, court documents revealed.

"Defendant Kenneth Lin ("Lin"), through undersigned counsel, respectfully moves for an order dismissing with prejudice the complaint filed by Inna Khodorkovskaya ("Plaintiff")," the document said on Tuesday.

In March, Khodorkovskaya filed the lawsuit against Lin and the play's director Jackson Gay, claiming that they depicted her as "a murderer and a prostitute." The plaintiff seeks $75,000 in damage and legal costs.

Lin's lawyer Barbara Wahl argued in the motion to dismiss the suit that the play "simply does not so portray" Khodorkovskaya.

Wahl referred to the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech and allows for artistic interpretation of real events. The work of art does not depict facts, but rather deals with opinions, theories and assumptions, the lawyer argued.

"[T]he Play is a work of fiction, which is clearly shown by not only its tagline but also by the context and content of the work itself, the First Amendment allows breathing room for the dramatization of the events and characters depicted," the document said.

The plaintiff's allegations, Wahl concluded, are thus implausible and because of the legal defects the court should dismiss the complaint against Lin.