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Media regulators warned that if Western technology giants fail to comply with Russian law, they may be held criminally responsible.
Russia’s national communications regulator warned that Google and Apple’s refusal to delete the apps of the imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny before the election may be seen as interfering in the country’s internal affairs.
On Thursday, Roskomnadzor increased pressure on Western technology giants, saying that if they continue to refuse to comply with Russian law, they may be held criminally responsible.
Parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held later this month. Almost everyone who criticizes the Kremlin, including Navalny’s allies, has been banned from running.
Last month, the national regulator Roskomnadzor asked Google and Apple to remove Navalny’s app from their stores.
The regulator said in a statement: “It is expected that the organization and participation in the work of extremist organizations that are prohibited in Russia will be criminally liable.”
The statement warned that failure to block the application “may be seen as interfering” with the Russian elections and would result in a huge fine.
According to Interfax, Roskomnadzor stated that Google and Apple may face an initial fine of up to 4 million rubles ($55,000) for not restricting access to the application.
“Failure to take action violates Russian law… It may also be seen as American companies interfering in the Russian elections,” it said.
Maria Zakharova, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the US technology giant’s ignorance of Russian authorities’ request to remove “illegal content” has become “systematic”.
She told reporters: “Such arrogant, selective behavior and expressive disregard of the multiple demands made by Russian authorized agencies regarding content deemed extremist are becoming truly unacceptable.”
Opposition leader Navalny saw that his organization was declared “extremist” and banned this year, while all his senior aides had fled the country.
Since then, media regulators have banned dozens of Navalny-related websites, including his main website navanny.com.
Navalny sent a message from prison, urging supporters to download an app designed to help Russians select candidates from the ruling United Russia Party in upcoming polls.
The strategy of “smart voting” has caused the increasingly unpopular United Russia Party to lose some seats in recent local elections.
Navalny’s spokesperson Kira Yarmysh wrote on Twitter: “If something can be called’interference in Russian elections’, it is Roskomnadzor’s attempt to block smart voting applications.”
“Download as soon as possible.”
Navalny’s allies were barred from participating in the September 17-19 elections, and the United Russia Party, which supports Putin, is expected to win despite its sluggish popularity.
After this year’s crackdown banned his actions, the imprisoned politician’s tactical voting plan was one of the last resorts he and his allies had.
In a June ruling, the Russian court declared the Navalny Anti-Corruption Foundation and its network of regional offices to be “extremist organizations”, prohibiting people associated with these groups from seeking public office and exposing them to long prison sentences.
Even people who occasionally mention the Navalny project may face retaliation for spreading “extremist” material.
On Thursday, police in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don arrested an activist who posted a smart voting sticker on her Instagram account. The local court quickly sentenced her to five days in prison for spreading “extremist” symbols.
Activist Bella Nasibyan was detained after taking her three-year-old son to kindergarten.
The Russian authorities also blocked about 50 websites operated by his team or supporters on the grounds that they were suspected of spreading propaganda from extremist groups and targeting his senior associates.
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