In a shocking turn of events, a Russian military court has handed down a six-year prison sentence to Meta spokesperson Andy Stone in his absence. The charges? “Publicly defending terrorism,” as reported by Reuters. Stone’s legal team pushed for an acquittal, with plans to challenge the verdict.
Several months ago, Stone found himself on a wanted list and under investigation by Russian authorities. In February, a Moscow court issued an arrest warrant for Stone on various terrorism-related allegations. These included accusations of promoting terrorist activities, making public calls for terrorism, justifying terrorism, and spreading extremist propaganda.
This latest development comes on the heels of Russia’s investigative committee launching a probe into Meta in March 2022. The committee claimed that Stone had incited extremist behavior by allowing “calls for violence against the Russian military” on Meta’s platforms. Stone defended Meta’s decision, stating that it was a temporary measure to permit certain posts that were previously restricted.
2024-04-22 15:15:00
Source: www.engadget.com