The legal drama between Avicii’s former manager, Arash “Ash” Pournouri, and the late DJ’s estate is far from over. In a major turn of events, a Swedish appeals court has officially revived Pournouri’s “character assassination” lawsuit against Tim Bergling’s family.

The whole dispute stems from how Pournouri was portrayed in the wake of Avicii’s tragic passing in 2018^{. Pournouri originally filed a lawsuit in December, claiming that the 2017 Netflix documentary Avicii: True Stories and two authorized biographies painted him as a “manipulative slavedriver”. He argues these projects broke a non-disparagement clause from their 2016 split agreement by heavily implying he overworked the electronic music icon and pressured him to tour, ultimately driving him to suicide.}

The Legal Flip-Flop

Back in March, a Stockholm District Court judge threw the case out, ruling that Pournouri didn’t meet the technical requirements needed to move forward^{. But Pournouri wasn’t having it.}

He took it to the Svea Court of Appeal, and they agreed that the lower court jumped the gun^{. According to the appellate court’s May 25 ruling, the original judge committed a “procedural error” by dismissing the case without giving Pournouri a proper chance to clarify his claims or letting a full trial play out.}

Now, the case is being sent right back to the District Court for a brand-new hearing^.

Where Both Sides Stand

Pournouri is viewing this as a massive win to clear his name^{. In a statement, he noted:}

“My claim was publicly characterized as unfounded and the case as lost. The Svea Court of Appeal has now found that the dismissal was a procedural error and overturned it. The decision is final and cannot be appealed.”

On the other side, Avicii’s estate has kept things quiet regarding the new ruling^{. However, when the lawsuit was initially dismissed, Tim’s father, Klas Bergling, expressed how heartbreaking it was to see his son’s name dragged into court battles. Klas also made it clear that despite the legal friction, neither he nor Tim’s mother have ever blamed Pournouri for their son’s death.}

Interestingly, this isn’t the only legal battle Pournouri has launched over his portrayal^{. He also filed a defamation suit against Levan Tsikurishvili, the director of True Stories, though that separate case was dismissed earlier this month due to a lack of evidence.}

With the main lawsuit officially back from the dead, dance music fans and industry insiders will definitely be keeping an eye on how this next hearing unfolds in Sweden^.