Russia Convicts Meta's Spokesperson For Justifying Terrorism

A court in Russia has convicted Meta's spokesperson for justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years imprisonment in a swift trial in absentia, according to a media report on Tuesday.

Meta Communications Director Andy Stone was charged in 2022 for his remark following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February of the same year.

The US-based Stone had then notified of some temporary changes to Meta’s hate speech policy allowing the form of political expression that violated the standard rules and included violence in speech such as death to the Russian invaders.

Additionally, Stone suggested credible calls for violence against ‘Russian civilians’ would continue to be prohibited. Despite this, the Russian authorities initiated a criminal investigation implicating the Communication Director and other unidentified employees of Meta, alleging that the statement constituted "illegal incitement to violence and the murder of Russian citizens."

Stone was originally accused of inciting terrorist acts, making public appeals for extremist actions and publicly supporting terrorism. However, the final indictment dropped the first two charges. The trial, where Stone had a lawyer appointed by the government, started on Friday and ended on Monday after just two sessions. 

Stone received a six-year sentence in a correctional facility and was prohibited from managing websites for an additional four years.

In Russia, Meta has been banned by the authorities for being labelled as an extremist organisation. Facebook and Instagram are also facing restrictions. The microblogging platform X has also been banned. Russians used these platforms a lot before the invasion and the crackdown on independent media and opposing opinions. Now, the only way to access these platforms is through a VPN.

Meta has chosen to remain mute on the verdict. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, was officially prohibited from entering Russia in April 2022.