The website of the OVD-Info project is blocked by a court decision

Roskomnadzor, which carried out the blocking, refers to the decision of the Lukhovitsky District Court, which recognized the information posted on the OVD-Info website and in the accounts of the media project as prohibited for distribution in Russia.

December 25, 2021 Roskomnadzor blocked the site independent human rights media project "OVD-Info", previously recognized as a "foreign agent", and sent out a demand to social networks block project accounts. These measures were taken by the department Lukhovitsky District Court of the Moscow Region, which on December 20 ruled on the recognition of the information contained on the site and pages of the project as prohibited for distribution in Russia. Recall that OVD-Info monitors the implementation of the right to freedom of assembly in Russia, provides legal assistance to those detained during public events and prosecuted for violating relevant legislation, and also highlights cases of persecution of citizens who are considered politically motivated.

December 13, 2021 Lukhovitskaya The city prosecutor's office sent a letter to the editorial office of "OVD-Info" demanding representatives of the project to come to the prosecutor's office with explanations about site content. On December 14, OVD-Info's lawyer appeared at the prosecutor's office, but they didn’t explain to her what the claims against the site were and they didn’t want to take a warrant from her, however, they then promised to send the project owners a notification corresponding to the norm of the law. As it turned out later, the very next day, December 15, The prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit with the Lukhovitsky District Court to declare the information of "OVD-Info" prohibited for dissemination. 20th of December The court granted the prosecutor's claim.

For now moment representatives of "OVD-Info" did not have the opportunity to get acquainted with the claim of the prosecutor's office, and it is not known which materials served as the basis for the claim. According to representatives of Roskomnadzor in a TASS commentary, it is known that “according to the text of the court decision, information from a media project “aimed at justifying the activities of extremist and terrorist associations, justifying the actions of members of such organizations, posted on the information resource of an NGO-foreign agent, as well as in social accounts” is recognized as prohibited. organization networks.

We We believe that by accusing human rights associations of justifying extremism and terrorism, Russian law enforcement agencies are trying to get rid of unpleasant questions that arise in connection with dubious prohibitions in as extremist or terrorist organizations not involved in violence or inciting hatred leading to violence or discrimination. Which no matter which organizations or individuals are charged, The right to freedom of expression guarantees the opportunity to openly express doubts about the validity of the relevant decisions of the courts and argue in support for these doubts. This opportunity should be available to both human rights defenders and lawyers, and ordinary citizens. Sources

• Roskomnadzor blocked the website "OVD-Info" // TASS. December 25, 2021
• Maria Starikova. Department of Internal Affairs was left without information // Kommersant. December 26, 2021