Website linked to Prigozhin sues Facebook

The Russian Federal News Agency (RIA FAN) has filed a lawsuit against Facebook in a California federal court, reported . Reuters

What's happened? The plaintiffs on behalf of RIA FAN and its sole official owner, Yevgeny Zubarev, demand that Facebook management restore the RIA FAN page. The social network removed it in April as being linked to the Internet Research Agency. This structure, also known as the "troll factory", was accused by Special Counsel Robert Mueller of interfering in US elections.

• In the lawsuit, RIA FAN calls itself an independent news agency that publishes materials for the general public.
• The company also alleges that Facebook acted as a government agency in this case, violating the right to free speech.
• RIA FAN believes that it was the victim of discrimination based on national origin (as a Russian company), which violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

History of the issue . RIA FAN previously admitted that it is located in the same office as the Internet Research Agency. The company's accountant is Yelena Khusyainova, who was accused by Special Counsel Mueller last month of arranging the financing of interference in the 2016 and 2018 US elections (read more here ).

• But the plaintiffs allege that Khusyainova's role at the company is limited to overseeing the accounting department and that she does not interfere in editorial processes.
• RIA FAN insists that it is not participating in the “Project Lakhta” (as the US calls the information campaign, which, according to America, is supported by the Kremlin and financed by businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin close to Putin).

Does RIA FAN have a chance of success? Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, said the Russian company's arguments were weak and predicted that it would be difficult for plaintiffs to substantiate them in courts. In his opinion, this is more of a PR stunt.

Vladimir Motorin