Meta Communications Director Sentenced to Six Years in Absentia by Russian Court
In a controversial move, a Russian court has sentenced Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone, to six years of imprisonment in absentia for “publicly defending terrorism.”
The charges against Stone stem from a Twitter/X comment he posted in March 2022, wherein he advocated for aggressive and violent actions against Russian servicemen involved in the invasion of Ukraine. The court also cited Stone’s sharing of Meta’s statement on a temporary policy change that allowed certain forms of political expression on its platforms, including “death to the Russian invaders.”
Russian authorities allege that Stone’s post contained “public calls to commit deadly terrorist attacks against servicemen.” However, it is unclear whether the offending post was Stone’s original comment or a repost of Meta’s global affairs president’s explanation of the policy change, which specified that the policy would only apply to users within Ukraine.
Stone, who faces charges under an article covering public incitement to terrorism and propaganda, could have faced up to seven years in prison. The prosecution, which initially requested a seven-year sentence, dropped charges of promotion and public calls for terrorism due to “confusion in the wording of the indictment.”
The Moscow’s Second Western Military Garrison Court ultimately sentenced Stone to six years in a high-security prison. However, as there is no extradition treaty between the US and Russia, Stone is likely safe from serving his sentence as long as he remains outside of Russia.
Stone’s lawyer, Valentina Filippenkova, has stated that the sentence will be appealed. This case highlights the ongoing tensions between Russia and Western social media companies and raises concerns about the suppression of free speech in Russia.
