Lola Karimova

Lola Karimova

Youngest daughter of the President of Uzbekistan
Date of Birth: 03.07.1978
Country: Uzbekistan

Biography of Lola Karimova

Lola Karimova is the youngest daughter of the President of Uzbekistan. She is known for her involvement in a legal dispute with the French website Rue89. The lawsuit was filed by Lola Karimova seeking compensation of 30,000 euros for an article published by Rue89 that referred to her father as a "dictator" and accused her of attempting to "whitewash the image" of Uzbekistan. However, the Paris court ruled in favor of Rue89, stating that the publication did not contain defamation and no compensation was warranted.

It is unknown whether Lola Karimova plans to continue the legal battle in another court. It is unlikely that she would receive support from her father, as the process against Rue89 has already drawn additional attention to the president of Uzbekistan and the negative aspects of his rule, such as the persecution of dissidents and torture in prisons.

The characterization of her father as a "dictator," which Lola Karimova protested against, gained more weight after the decision of the Paris court, even though the court did not officially recognize Islam Karimov as a dictator. This could potentially cause concerns for the president, considering the discussions abroad about "dictatorship" in Uzbekistan, especially in light of the revolutions that have occurred in other countries under similar accusations.

The article for which Lola Karimova sought legal action against the French website was published over a year ago. It discussed the charitable activities of the president's daughters, Gulnara and Lola. The author, Augustin Scalbert, expressed the opinion that they were attempting to "whitewash the image" of their country. He also referred to Islam Karimov as a "dictator" and "tyrant."

The article also claimed that the organizers of one of these charitable events, a fundraising evening for the "Uzbekistan 2020" foundation initiated by Lola Karimova, paid a significant amount to Italian actress Monica Bellucci. According to the source, she received 190,000 euros (previous reports suggested that other celebrities received similar offers). It is unclear why this specific publication caught Lola Karimova's attention and led her to pursue legal action.

Around the same time, Newsweek included Islam Karimov in their list of "despots," along with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. The article highlighted his more than 20 years in power and the brutal suppression of protests in Andijan in 2005.

There were speculations that Lola Karimova's lawsuit was an attempt to increase her own significance in the power struggle with her older sister Gulnara, who is also involved in diplomatic work representing Uzbekistan abroad. Another theory suggested that the president himself initiated the lawsuit, although it is difficult to imagine Islam Karimov being concerned about how he is referred to by a French website.

The specific claims made by Lola Karimova in her lawsuit were related to the use of the word "dictator," the passage about "whitewashing the image," which could be interpreted as a hint at money laundering, and the statement about the amount paid to Monica Bellucci. None of these claims were supported by the court.

The full text of the court's decision, which could provide more details, has not been published yet. It is unclear how the court evaluated the claims regarding the "dictator" and the journalists' rights to freedom of speech. The prosecutor argued that the journalist exercised his right to freedom of speech guaranteed by French law.

Lola Karimova's lawyer tried to depict her as a victim of attacks by unscrupulous journalists. The court was shown a film about her charitable activities and received commendatory letters from UNICEF and the House of Europe in Uzbekistan. However, it was later revealed that the authors of these letters were not aware that their statements would be used in the lawsuit.

Journalists from Rue89 also made counterclaims against Lola Karimova, accusing her of attempting to exploit the French judicial system and demanding compensation for legal costs. However, the court ruled that there was no malicious intent on Lola Karimova's part and denied the request for compensation.

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