Gorbachev’s Fine for Non-Appearance: 3
A Russian court fined former Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev 30 rubles (3 U.S. cents) on Thursday for failing to appear to answer slander charges leveled by the mayor of Moscow.
The Postfactum news agency said Gorbachev was accused of defaming Mayor Yuri M. Luzhkov after televised remarks accusing the Moscow administration of using public funds to build personal villas on the outskirts of the capital.
“Since neither M. Gorbachev nor his representative appeared on Aug. 12 or earlier (at two pretrial meetings with representatives of the mayor’s office), the court fined M. Gorbachev 30 rubles,” the agency said.
It said the case was rescheduled for Sept. 3 and might be examined in Gorbachev’s absence if he again fails to turn up.
Luzhkov, a strong supporter of Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin, is seeking a public apology. Gorbachev, forced from office after the collapse of the Soviet Union, now runs a Moscow-based think tank.
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