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McDonald's Says It Has Not Sued Former Belarusian Presidential Candidate


Dzmitry Vus
Dzmitry Vus
MINSK -- McDonald's of Minsk says it has not filed a lawsuit against former Belarusian presidential candidate Dzmitry Vus for alleged financial losses caused by postpresidential protests in December, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports.

But Vus said today after familiarizing himself with the Minsk prosecutor's case against him that along with being officially charged with "organizing mass unrest" on Minsk's Independence Square on December 19, he is also being sued for financial damages suffered by McDonald's because of the demonstration.

It was on that day when opposition presidential candidates and hundreds of their supporters demonstrated against the official results of that day's presidential election, which named incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka the runaway winner.

Artur Yuran, a McDonald's spokesman in Minsk, told RFE/RL his company has not filed any lawsuits against Vus for any reason.

Yuran told RFE/RL that data on McDonald's financial losses and gains are private corporate information and not made public. He said he has no knowledge of McDonald's having ever filed a lawsuit against someone in Belarus for financial losses.

Vus told RFE/RL he plans to appeal the charges at the prosecutor's office as "the accusations are groundless and are not based on any facts."

Vus said the report about McDonald's alleged lawsuit against him is part of the general charges and therefore cannot be withdrawn separately, but only together with the other charges.

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