(ANSA) – ROME, JUN 14 – The Wikimedia Foundation, to which Wikipedia belongs, has decided to appeal the sentence of the Russian court which in mid-April sentenced it to pay a fine equal to 5 million rubles (about 80 thousand dollars) for violating national law on disinformation. Seven Wikipedia articles on the war, containing information deemed false and potentially capable of generating public unrest, have been targeted by the Moscow authorities. The topics covered include the invasion of Ukraine, war crimes during the invasion, the bombing of the Mariupol hospital and the Bucha massacre.
The organization filed an appeal last week, claiming that the articles contained “verified and well-sourced information” and that Russia did not have jurisdiction over the globally operating Wikimedia Foundation. “This decision implies that well-documented and verified knowledge on Wikipedia that is inconsistent with the Russian government constitutes misinformation,” said Stephen LaPorte, associate general counsel at the Wikimedia Foundation, in a statement reported by The Verge website. “The government – he added – is targeting vital information for people in a time of crisis. We urge the court to reconsider in favor of the rights of all access to knowledge and free expression.” Wikimedia Foundation filed the appeal on June 6, the Russian government will have the opportunity to respond in the coming weeks.
Roskomnadzor has periodically asked Wikipedia in recent months to remove content, and volunteers from the free encyclopedia have also faced challenges outside of Russia, including the arrest of an editor in Belarus in March. (HANDLE).
Source: Ansa
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