French court unfreezes RIA Novosti account, orders compensation

PARIS, May 16 (RIA Novosti) - A court in Paris ruled on Friday to unfreeze RIA Novosti's account in France and ordered Switzerland's Noga to pay 15,000 euros ($23,000) in compensation to the Russian news agency.

"RIA Novosti has been recognized as a legal entity separate from the Russian government, so it should not be liable for its debts," the judge said.

A French court ruled last Tuesday that a Russian Central Bank account held with France's Calyon bank, which was frozen in January following a Noga suit, must be unfrozen.

Some assets of Russian organizations, including accounts held by the CBR and RIA Novosti, were frozen over a 49 million euro ($75 million) claim by the Swiss trading firm to secure the repayment of a debt accrued under barter oil deals struck with Russia's government in the early 1990s.

Since 1993, Noga has repeatedly applied for the seizure of Russian property abroad, including a sailing vessel and military aircraft that were taking part in exhibitions and shows. In 2005 it seized a collection of paintings owned by the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum in an attempt to secure the repayment of debts.