21 Jun 2022 12:56

Access to The Telegraph website restricted in Russia

MOSCOW. June 21 (Interfax) - Russia's Federal Communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor has restricted access to an article on the website of the The Telegraph on the orders from the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, thus making the entire website of the British media outlet inaccessible in Russia.

According to the Roskomnadzor's universal service for verification of website and webpage blockings, access is limited to a webpage of the https://www.telegraph.co.uk website, which published an article on Russian actions in Ukraine on February 23. The webpage was blocked on orders from the Russian Prosecutor General's Office dated April 22, consistent with Article 15.3 of the Law on Information, which regulates restriction of access to websites containing calls for mass unrest, extremism, or inaccurate socially significant information (so-called fakes).

The website uses the https network protocol, and the blocking of one webpage makes the entire website inaccessible in Russia. Interfax has checked and can verify that there is no access to the website in Russia at present.

According to the Roskomsvoboda organization, which uploads data from the register of information prohibited in Russia, the webpage was added to the register and blocked on June 20.

"Access to the website has been restricted on orders from the Russian Prosecutor General's Office. The reason for its blocking is the dissemination of inaccurate information about the special military operation conducted by the Russian Armed Forces in the territory of Ukraine." Roskomnadzor told Interfax in its comments on the reason for blocking access to the website of The Telegraph.

A number of websites of foreign media outlets and projects were blocked in Russia in March for spreading information about the events in Ukraine, which was dubbed by the Russian Prosecutor General' Office as fake reports. For instance, the blocking has applied to the websites of Voice of America (added to the list of foreign-agent media outlets by the Russian Justice Ministry), BBC, Meduza (added to the list of foreign-agent media outlets by the Russian Justice Ministry), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (added to the list of foreign-agent media outlets by the Russian Justice Ministry), Euronews, and DW (added to the list of foreign-agent media outlets by the Russian Justice Ministry).