Russia blocks website of group that tracks political arrests

A Russian organisation that tracks political arrests and provides legal aid to detainees said Saturday that government regulators blocked its website, latest move in a months-long crackdown on independent media and human rights organisations.

OVD-Info reported that Russia's internet and communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, blocked group's website.

organisation said in a tweet that it wasn't formally tified about decision and doesn't kw reason for action beyond that it was ordered by a court outside Moscow earlier in week.

website was unavailable to Russian internet users on Saturday and was listed on government's registry of banned web ps.

In light of move, OVD-Info urged supporters to follow its ps on a number of social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Russian social network VK and messaging app Telegram.

In comments to Interfax news ncy, Roskomnadzor said website was blocked because, according to court ruling, it was involved in "propaganda of terrorism and extremism" by publishing content aimed at "justifying actions of extremist and terrorist groups."

ncy said social media platforms have been told to remove group's accounts.

OVD-Info co-founder Grigory Okhotin rejected accusations on Saturday.

"Naturally, we are sure that we are t justifying extremism or terrorism," he said. "Of course we write about such cases, this is our job, but it is t justifying."

Okhotin said ruling to block website came as a surprise, even though group knew prosecutor's office in Lukhovitsy, a town 120 kilometers (75 miles) souast of Moscow, had opened an investigation of some kind.

"We see this as a new round of pressure on us and on civil society. This is a very serious development and serious accusations that will make our work much more difficult," Okhotin said.

OVD-Info gained prominence for its meticulous tracking and counting of arrests at street protests in Russia.

Activists first started practice during mass protests triggered by a 2011 Russian parliamentary election tainted by numerous reports of voter fraud and n formed a group that has continued work over years.

data has been indispensable to news outlets over years as Russian authorities largely kept quiet or underplayed scale of mass arrests at protests and demonstrations.

OVD-Info operates as a legal aid group as well, dispatching lawyers to help detained protesters at police stations and in courts.

In September, a Sweden-based international human rights organisation awarded OVD-Info its Civil Rights Defender of Year award.

That same month Russian authorities designated group as a "foreign nt" — a label that comes with excessive government scrutiny and strong pejorative contations that can discredit recipients.

Okhotin said group would continue to inform Russians about political repression despite website being unavailable to viewers.

"We will definitely find some form or ar to keep public informed," he said.