Yedioth Ahronoth Faces Lawsuit Over Impersonation Warning
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Journalist Nick Kolyukhin is demanding NIS 79,800 in compensation and an apology from Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynet over social media warnings alleging he impersonated one of their journalists. Kolyukhin denies the claims and has threatened legal action. Yedioth Ahronoth confirmed issuing the warning to protect the public after receiving information about an impersonator and stated a police complaint was filed, but did not confirm if it was against Kolyukhin. The dispute centers on the identity of the alleged impersonator and the basis for the warning.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Journalist Nick Kolyukhin is suing Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynet for NIS 79,800 over impersonation warnings.
- Kolyukhin denies impersonating a journalist and demands an apology and retraction of the warnings.
- Yedioth Ahronoth stated the warning was to protect the public from an impersonator.
- A police complaint was filed by Yedioth Ahronoth, but the target's identity is disputed.
- The dispute involves allegations of impersonation and potential identity theft.
A dispute between journalist Nick Kolyukhin and the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth and its news site Ynet has escalated, with Kolyukhin demanding an apology and NIS 79,800 in compensation. The demand follows warnings posted on Yedioth Ahronoth's social media accounts on October 18, 2026, alleging that an individual named Nick Kolyukhin was impersonating a journalist from their organization. Kolyukhin denies these allegations, stating he has not contacted anyone claiming to be from Yedioth Ahronoth or Ynet, nor has he authorized anyone to do so in his name. He argues that any impersonation attempts do not prove his involvement.
Kolyukhin is seeking NIS 39,900 for the warning posted on the @YediotAhronot account and another NIS 39,900 for the @ynetalerts account. He has threatened to file separate lawsuits in small claims court for each post if the payments are not made within seven days of receiving his demand letter. A key point of contention is the identity of the person against whom Yedioth Ahronoth filed a police complaint. Kolyukhin has asked the newspaper to clarify whether the complaint was filed against him personally or against an unknown individual using his name, and to provide details about the complaint if possible.
Yedioth Ahronoth responded by stating that the warning was issued to protect the public after receiving information about someone impersonating their journalist and confirmed that a police complaint has been filed. They did not specify whether the complaint was against Kolyukhin or another party. Kolyukhin asserts that his identity cannot be disconnected from the warning, noting he has worked as a journalist under the name Nick Kolyukhin for approximately 20 years and believes no one else shares this name. He also pointed to past articles on Ynet featuring his name and photos, though he clarified this does not grant permission to represent the outlet currently.
Kolyukhin also recounted a previous incident in August 2026 where he was a target of an attempted fraud by individuals posing as employees of an American media outlet. After suspecting his phone was compromised, he filed a complaint with the police. He later received screenshots of WhatsApp messages sent from numbers not his own, using his name and photo, which he provided to the police. However, he stated he cannot technically determine how his identity was used in those instances. Kolyukhin is demanding that Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynet publish his denial on both accounts, as a standalone post and as a reply to the original warning, and subsequently remove or amend the current warning.