Press Release, 17.02.2026

The Chairman of the Irkutsk Regional Branch of the Yabloko party, Grigory Gribenko, together with political activist and human rights defender Pavel Kharitonenko, have submitted a notification to the Irkutsk city administration regarding a rally entitled “For a Free Internet!”. The applicants stressed that mass blocking of messengers and social networks was inadmissible and that citizens’ constitutional rights in the digital sphere must not be violated.

It should be noted that on 10 February it was reported that Roskomnadzor (the Russian telecommunications watchdog) had begun to significantly slow down, and in some cases even block, the Telegram messenger. The agency cited Telegram’s “failure to comply with the legislation of the Russian Federation”, explaining the restrictions as a measure to “protect citizens from fraud and to suppress extremism and terrorism”.

Shortly thereafter, the Chairman of the Yabloko party, Nikolai Rybakov, issued a statement demanding that the authorities “cease restricting citizens’ lawful right to use communications tools of their choice, and lift all restrictions on the operation of Telegram and other messengers.” Subsequently, rallies in support of Telegram were held in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg, at which participants likewise demanded an end to the blocking of the messenger and stop violating Russians’ constitutional rights.

The Yabloko branch in the Irkutsk Region also called for freedom of communication in the Russian Federation, resolving to hold a rally in defence of the Telegram messenger and “For a Free Internet!”

“The blocking of messengers is a case where not only are our basic constitutional rights violated, but real inconvenience is caused to millions of Russians, the natural development of technologies is slowed, and the country’s backwardness is thereby accelerated,” Grigory Gribenko, Chairman of the Irkutsk Regional Branch of the Yabloko party said. “Yabloko consistently stands for the freedom to receive and disseminate information, for freedom of the media, and for a free Internet! That is why we considered it necessary to assert our rights once again.”

The application submitted to the Irkutsk city administration runs that the event is planned for 1 March, with at least 300 participants expected. The purpose of the rally is to express the civic position in defence of citizens’ constitutional rights in the digital sphere.