The Council of Europe has imposed sanctions on Russian agencies responsible for internet censorship in the country.
The council said in a statement on Monday that a Russian quasi-governmental organization called the Safe Internet League “helps the Russian government carry out censorship” and that its president, Ekaterina Mizulina, “takes serious and organized action against freedom of opinion.” “We are responsible for the abuses that have occurred.” and expressiveness. ”
The sanctions list also includes three people employed by Russia’s judicial system, including opposition politicians, democratic activists, and the arbitrary arrest of convicted Russian-British journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza. and is responsible for “serious human rights violations” including detention. Up to 25 years in prison.
The EU said in a statement that the sanctions were imposed because of the “continued deterioration of the human rights situation in Russia.” The European Council determines the political direction of the bloc.
Under this sanction, a listed individual’s assets will be frozen and any financial donations to that individual will be prohibited. They are also not allowed to travel to any country within the EU.
“The EU strongly condemns Russia’s severe escalation of restrictive laws and systematic repression against civil society and human rights defenders, as well as the continued crackdown on independent media, individual journalists, political opposition members and other critical voices. ” said the European Council. .
safe internet league
The Russian Safe Internet League was founded in 2011 and counts some of the country’s largest telecommunications and technology companies as members, including Rostelecom, Beeline, Kaspersky, and Mail.ru Group. In 2022, most of them are reported to have left their membership.
The organization’s original goal was to “keep the Internet free of harmful content” such as child pornography, drug-related material, and suicide-related content.
But over time, its scope expanded significantly and began targeting anything deemed harmful to the Kremlin, including LGBTQ+ content and independent musicians.
Its head, Ekaterina Mizulina, is the daughter of Elena Mizulina, a Russian politician known for drafting controversial laws regarding the rights of Russia’s LGBTQ+ community and the adoption of Russian orphans by foreigners. Elena Mizulina was sanctioned by the United States and Canada in 2014 for supporting Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Elena Mizurina is known in Russia for criticizing musicians, public figures, and critics of the state. Russian media reported that she had filed complaints against at least four music groups and 166 individuals. As a result of her complaint, the police opened four criminal proceedings, resulting in her being fined and her music concert canceled.
In response to the EU sanctions, Mizulina said she would continue to work “in the interest” of the country and had no intention of traveling outside Russia as her heart was “at home”.
“I was put on a sanctions list by the European Council’s supporters of pedophiles, drug dealers and barbarians,” Mizulina said in Russian. “My mother was placed on European and American sanctions lists ten years ago for upholding traditional Russian values. I am happy to continue this great family tradition.”
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Darina Antonyuk
Daryna Antoniuk is a reporter for Recorded Future News based in Ukraine. She writes about cybersecurity startups, cyber attacks in Eastern Europe, and the state of the cyber war between Ukraine and Russia. She previously served as a technology reporter for Forbes Her Ukraine. Her work has also appeared in Sifted, The Kyiv Independent and The Kyiv Post.
