The social media platforms Facebook and Instagram were banned and blocked in Russia in March 2022 after their parent company, Meta, was designated an “extremist” organization and prohibited from operating in the country.
On July 5th, Alexei Sokolov, the head of the human rights organization “Legal Basis,” which advocates for prisoners’ rights, was detained by Russian authorities following a search of his home. He is accused of “repeatedly displaying extremist symbols” (Article 282.4 of the Russian Criminal Code). Earlier, in October 2023, he became the first person in Russia to serve a five-day administrative arrest for displaying the Facebook logo online.
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