Edition 1.0 of 15 November 2026. Effective 15 November 2026. Original language: Russian. This is the English version; in case of discrepancy the Russian version prevails.
These rules describe how the Mezon Central editorial team works, how we correct mistakes, and how you can demand a correction or publish a reply. They apply to all language versions of the Website (Russian, Uzbek, English).
Part I. Editorial standards
1. Facts first. We publish what we can verify: documents, data, eyewitness accounts, responses from the parties. In our materials we separate established facts from opinions and assessments.
2. News and opinion are separate. Columns and commentary are marked with the “Opinions” section label and a banner. Analysis contains the authors’ assessments and forecasts based on the sources cited. Advertising and partner content, if it appears, is labelled (“Advertisement”, “Partner content”) and visually separated from news.
3. Right of reply before publication. If a material affects the reputation of a person or organisation, we try to contact them before publication and give reasonable time to respond. If there is no response, we say so.
4. Presumption of innocence. The mention of a person or company in a material does not mean that a violation of law has been established. Guilt is determined by a court. We do not call a person guilty before a court verdict that has entered into legal force, and we do not distribute materials that violate the presumption of innocence.
5. Sources and anonymity. We name sources when possible. Anonymity is allowed if a public name creates a risk for the person; the text says so. We change names only with the note “name changed”. An author may publish under a pseudonym for safety reasons; in that case we state: “The author publishes under a pseudonym for safety reasons; the name is known to the editorial team.” Unsigned materials appear in the name of “Mezon Central Editorial Team”.
6. Publication procedure. The agenda and materials are prepared by the editorial team. The decision to publish investigations is taken by Mezon Central on the recommendation of the editorial team after legal review. We disclose the author’s conflicts of interest, if any.
7. Private life. We do not disclose information about a person’s private life without their consent, except where necessary to protect the public interest or permitted by law. When citing such information, we rely on official sources and take steps to prevent the identification of unrelated persons. We publish a person’s image with their consent, except where it was taken at a public event, relates to their public activity, or publication is otherwise permitted by law.
8. Children and vulnerable people. We do not disclose the identity of minors who are victims of unlawful acts or suspected of offences, except in cases expressly permitted by law, and we do not distribute information that harms the mental or physical health of children. We do not publish information that discriminates against people with disabilities. Materials not intended for children are marked 18+.
9. Suicide and violence. We write about suicide following safe-reporting rules: without describing methods and places, without calls to action or romanticisation, and with help contacts. We do not publish calls to violence, incitement of hatred, terrorism or extremism; materials about these phenomena are published only for informational and analytical purposes.
10. Images and graphics. We state the author and source. Illustrations and graphics created by the editorial team are credited “Graphics: Mezon Central”. We use only our own or licensed images; the author, source and licence are kept for every image.
11. Artificial intelligence. We may use AI for draft translations (checked by an editor), headlines, adapting materials for social networks and preparing infographics. Publication is always approved by a person. Images created or altered by AI are labelled with a visible note (“Illustration created with the help of AI and is not a photograph of the event”) and machine-readable metadata. Images, video and audio imitating the appearance, voice or behaviour of a real person, or events that did not take place, are published only with such labelling. Fully machine translations are labelled.
12. Data and graphics. Charts and tables are built from the sources stated beneath them; the methodology is described in the material. We may update data when new information appears, with an update note.
13. Languages. Each language version is run by its own editorial team, which is responsible for its publications. Urgent corrections are made in all language versions at the same time. If a material is not available in the selected language, we say so.
14. Reader submissions. We verify information sent by readers before using it. We do not guarantee publication of anything sent to us.
Part II. Corrections and clarifications
15. If we make a mistake, we correct the material and say so openly. We do not make “silent” edits to the substance of a material.
16. Correction — removal of a factual error. The date, what was wrong and how it now reads are stated at the top or bottom of the material. Example: “Correction, 26 October 2026. The first version of this material gave the wrong month of the company’s registration. We have corrected the date.”
17. Clarification — adding information that does not change the meaning. Marked with the word “Clarification” and the date.
18. Update — new facts in a developing story. “Updated: date, time” is shown with a brief note of what changed.
19. Removal and anonymisation. We do not delete materials but correct or supplement them. Anonymisation or de-indexing is allowed in exceptional cases (minors, threat to safety, dropped charges, a court decision or other legal requirement) by decision of the editorial team. Each such decision is recorded in a log, and a notice is shown in place of the material. The archive is permanent; a corrected material keeps a dated note.
20. Corrections to headlines and captions are published in the same way as in the text.
Part III. Right to refutation and reply
21. Who may apply. Any person or organisation (including through a representative) may demand a refutation of information that is untrue and damages their honour, dignity or business reputation, and may publish their reply if a material contains information infringing their rights or legitimate interests.
22. How to apply. Write to [email protected] with the subject “Correction / Reply” or use the correction request form on the Website. You may write in Russian, Uzbek or English. State: the address of the material; the passage you dispute; what you believe the error is and what supports it (documents, links); your name and a way to contact you; if you write on behalf of an organisation, your position and authority. If you ask us to publish a reply, attach its text.
23. Deadlines. We will confirm receipt within 3 working days and tell you our decision within 10 working days. Complex requests may take longer, and we will warn you. The request is considered by the editorial team of the language version in which the material was published. Requests involving a threat to life or safety, or the publication of minors’ personal data, are considered as a priority.
24. What we do. If the information is not supported by evidence or the error is obvious, we publish a refutation or correction. If the material is accurate, we explain the reasons in writing. Your reply is published free of charge.
25. How a refutation or reply is published. A refutation or reply is placed on the Website in the same section and in the same language version where the disputed material was published, in the same font, under the heading “Refutation” or “Reply”, with a link to the disputed material; the disputed material itself carries a note with a link to the refutation or reply. The refutation or reply must not be twice the length of the disputed passage or longer. We may refuse publication if the text breaks the law, contains insults or does not relate to the disputed information; we will tell you in writing of the refusal and its reasons.
26. Courts. This does not limit your right to apply to a court or other competent authority. In a number of countries the time limit for court claims of this kind is one year from the date of publication.
Part IV. Reports of violations
27. If you believe that the Website contains information whose distribution is prohibited by law (for example, calls to violence, information about private life without lawful grounds, legally protected secrets), write to [email protected] with the subject “Report of violation”. We consider such reports without undue delay and, where necessary, correct, restrict or remove the information. Copyright infringement complaints are sent following the procedure in “Copyright and Complaints”. Questions about personal data go to [email protected].
Part V. Contacts
| Subject | Address |
|---|---|
| Editorial team | [email protected] |
| Corrections and right of reply | [email protected] |
| Reports of violations, legal questions | [email protected] |
| Press | [email protected] |
| Secure channel for sources | [email protected] with the subject “Secure channel” |