"It's a cumulative effect. We'll try to survive." The editor-in-chief of the Saratov-based publication "Svobodnye Novosti" commented on the website's blocking.
Elena Ivanova told NeMoskva that she learned about the blocking from a work chat: someone on the staff wrote that the website wasn't opening.
Several people who tried to access the publication's page from a phone or computer, appeared a message stating that “access to the resource is restricted on the basis of Federal Law No. 149.”
Our lawyer believes that the blocking is most likely based on a decision by the Prosecutor General's Office, to which our regional prosecutor's office complained; they really don't like Svobodnye Novosti, clarified Elena Ivanova.
By law, a website can only be blocked if the editorial staff fails to comply with an order to remove prohibited information within 24 hours. However, the editorial staff has not received such notifications in their email.
Ivanova admits that the decision to block was caused by a cumulative effect.
We have a foreign agent [journalist Anna Mukhina] working in our editorial office, we periodically receive warnings to be quieter, and people write denunciations against us, — listed the interlocutor of "NeMoskva". — Plus, we allow ourselves to write about certain things that aren't covered in Saratov. For example, about Volodin. Or about "SVO"—albeit very carefully, observing all legal restrictions.
A month ago, "NeMoscow" ReportedThe Saratov publication was fined 40 rubles and received a warning from Roskomnadzor for abusing freedom of the press. If the violation is repeated, the editorial staff could be terminated by the courts.
Readers are already writing, expressing sympathy, leaving broken heart emojis and offensive comments addressed to the authorities, Ivanova spoke about Saratov residents' reaction to the website's blocking. For now I will say that we will try to survive.