Why Russia is accusing its own scientists of treason
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Russia and Venezuela have blocked encrypted messaging app Signal
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Both Russia and Venezuela have blocked access to the encrypted messaging app Signal, The Verge reports.
The Russian news service Interfax broke the news about the block on the Signal app in Russia. Russia’s telecommunications watchdog Roskomnadzor restricted the app due to “violations of the requirements of the Russian legislation whose fulfillment is necessary to prevent the use of the messenger for terrorist and extremist purposes,” according to the Russian report.
The cybersecurity tracker NetBlocks confirmed on X on Friday that Russia has restricted access to Signal “on most internet providers.” NetBlocks also noted the app “remains usable with ‘censorship circumvention’ enabled” in Signal’s settings echoing a recommendation from the Signal’s X account to users who’ve been blocked from their messages in both regions .
The blocking of Signal in Venezuela occurred in the long shadow of the country’s disputed presidential election results from the end of July. Venezuela’s electoral authority declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner without publishing any evidence of his win, sparking protests from detractors and supporters of Maduro’s opponent Edmundo González, according to the Associated Press.
Both regions have been cutting off access to other similar social media apps possibly as a way to quiet dissenting voices. President Maduro banned X earlier today for a period of 10 days claiming that the company’s owner Elon Musk was inciting hatred and “violated” his social network’s rules. VOA News also reported a “mass YouTube outage” in Russia on Thursday.
Russia backs Nigerians’ right to protest but says it has no interest in country’s politics
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Against the backdrop of some EndBadGovernance protesters hoisting Russia flags in Nigeriathe Eastern European country, says it has no interest in interfering with the governance of Nigeria, while noting that the people have the right to protest.
The Russian Embassy in Nigeria in a statement on Monday, said it has “noted reports in the Nigerian media and the circulation of videos and images in digital media depicting protesters in northern states carrying Russian flags and chanting slogans to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The Government of the Russian Federation, as well as any Russian officials, are not involved in these activities and do not coordinate them in any way,” the Embassy added.
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Videos on social media show hundreds of protesters in many northern states flying Russian flags while shouting pro-Kremlin slogans during the processions.
The events have sparked widespread debate among Nigerians on social media, with some expressing concern about the continuous presence of Russian symbols among protesters. These concerns are fueled by allegations of Kremlin political interference in several West African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
Some of these countries share borders with northern Nigerian states and have recently fallen into the hands of military junta regimes, which have forged strong alliances with Moscow in recent years.
“As always, we emphasise that Russia does not interfere in the domestic affairs of foreign states, including Nigeria. The intentions of some protesters to wave Russian flags are personal choices and do not reflect any official position or policy of the Russian government,” the Russian government added.
“We respect Nigerian democracy and believe that peaceful demonstrations in conformity with Nigerian law are a manifestation of democracy. However, should these events lead to any disruptions or acts of violence, we strictly condemn them.”
Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, on Monday described as treasonthe hoisting of Russian flags by some protesters, while vowing action against them.
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Russia jails US reporter for 16 years
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Evan Gershkovich convicted of espionage in what Wall Street Journal calls ‘sham’ case
PUBLISHED : 19 Jul 2024 at 22:33
MOSCOW – A Russian court on Friday found the American reporter Evan Gershkovich guilty of espionage and jailed him for 16 years, the state news agency RIA said, in a case that his employer, the Wall Street Journal, has called a sham.
Gershkovich, 32, has denied any wrongdoing and said the allegations against him were false. He went on trial last month in the city of Yekaterinburg.
Prosecutors alleged that Gershkovich had gathered secret information on the orders of the US Central Intelligence Agency about a company that manufactures tanks for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
He is the first US journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War.
Espionage cases often take months to handle and the unusual speed at which his trial was held behind closed doors — Friday’s hearing was only the third in the trial — has stoked speculation that a long-discussed US-Russia prisoner exchange deal involving him and other Americans detained in Russia might be in the offing.
The Kremlin, when asked by Reuters on Friday about the possibility of such an exchange, declined to comment.