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Russia: Government Official Tries to Force Websites to Remove Discrediting Video

Categories: Eastern & Central Europe, Russia, Breaking News, Citizen Media, Freedom of Speech, Governance, Media & Journalism, Politics, RuNet Echo

On October 23, 2011 Kseniya Sobchak [1], celebrity journalist, had shot a video of Vasiliy Yakemenko [2], the head of the Federal Agency for Youth [3], in the most expensive restaurant of Moscow. Criticism followed the video [4] [ru] upload: according to his tax declaration [5] [ru], Yakemenko could hardly afford attending such place. Later Anna Biryukova, Agency's press-secretary, sent removal demands to a number of websites (1 [6], 2 [7] [ru]) threatening to sue them. Portals claim Agency's threats have no legal base.