Russia puts spokesman for tech giant and Facebook owner Meta on wanted list
- Andy Stone was added to the list on Sunday, weeks after Russian authorities in October classified Meta as a ‘terrorist and extremist’ organisation
- News outlet Mediazona claimed that a Russian court earlier this month issued an arrest warrant for Stone, on charges of ‘facilitating terrorism’
Russian state news agency Tass and independent news outlet Mediazona first reported on Andy Stone’s inclusion on the list on Sunday, weeks after Russian authorities in October classified Meta as a “terrorist and extremist” organisation, opening the way for possible criminal proceedings against Russian residents using its platforms.
The interior ministry’s database does not give details of the case against Stone, stating only that he is wanted on criminal charges.
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According to Mediazona, an independent news website that covers Russia’s opposition and prison system, Stone was put on the wanted list in February 2022, but authorities made no related statements at the time and no news media reported on the matter until this week.
In March this year, Russia’s federal Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation into Meta. It alleged that the company’s actions following Moscow’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 amounted to inciting violence against Russians.
After Russian troops moved into Ukraine, Stone announced temporary changes to Meta’s hate speech policy to allow for “forms of political expression that would normally violate (its) rules, like violent speech such as ‘death to the Russian invaders.’”
In the same statement, Stone added that “credible calls for violence against Russian civilians” will remain banned.
