Press Release, December 20, 2013

YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin and the party’s activists conducted a serious of one-person pickets against the bill which allows the state prosecutors to block websites containing “extremist” information without the judicial approval. The pickets took place outside the State Duma. YABLOKO activists held the posters that said “Stop destroying the Internet!”.

The State Duma plans to pass the bill in the second and third readings. “This bill actually introduces the Internet censorship as in China and Turkmenia. If one publishes the information which the state prosecutors find “extremist” or consider it a call for unauthorized actions of protest, the website will be blocked immediately,” said Sergei Mitrokhin.

According to YABLOKO leader, his statements to picket the State Duma published at YABLOKO’s website could also be considered illegal.

Sergei Mitrokhin believes that bill was an analog of the law raising penalties on rallies and does damage to Internet freedom.

“Our authorities are once again frightened by protests abroad, this time in Ukraine. But Russia’s citizens have to pay for their fear,” commented Sergei Mitrokhin.

“I’m surprised that only YABLOKO activists came to the State Duma to protect the civil society and to protest against another arbitrary rule, though I called all the Internet users to come and published the information at different resources,” said YABLOKO leader.

After the law is passed the Internet access providers will be obliged to block websites on a broad number of grounds such as calls for “mass riots”, committing “extremist activities”, “kindling conflict between nations or religions” or even participation in “unauthorized actions of protest”.