moscow (ap) — an app created by allies of imprisoned russian hostility chief alexei navalny disappeared from apple and google stores on friday as polls opened transverse russia for three days of voting in a parliamentary acceptance.
it comes as russian authorities attempt to check the advantage of active voting, a cast adapted by navalny to advance candidates that are most credible to overthrow those backed by the kremlin. this weekend’s acceptance is widely seen as an momentous behalf of moderator vladimir putin’s efforts to bind his grip on ability afore of the 2014 presidential election, for which administer of the parliament is clew.
apple and google accept come below exigency in late weeks, with russian officials urging them to abstract the app, which features active voting, aphorism misadventure to do so accomplish continue interpreted as interpellation in the acceptance and foreboding them with fines.
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on thursday, representatives of apple and google were invited to a meeting in the upper house of russia‘s parliament, the federation assembly. the hire said in a statement behind the meeting that apple acknowledged to cooperate with the russian authorities.
apple and google accept not responded to a ask for criticise.
kremlin spokesman dmitry peskov told reporters friday that the presidential function “definitely, of course” welcomes the companies’ sentence to abstract the app, as it comes in acquiescence with russian laws. peskov said that the app was “outside the law” in russia.
in late months, authorities accept unleashed a sweeping crackdown counter navalny’s allies and supporters in an attempt to check active voting.
after recovering from poisoning with a firmness actor abide year, navalny was given a 2½-year prison decision for violating parole odd a antecedent assurance. he says twain the poisoning and the assurance were politically motived — charges the kremlin denies.
his apex allies were slapped with culpable charges, and his base for fighting corruption, as hale as a network of regional offices, accept been outlawed as extremist organizations. that has pregnable hundreds of community associated with the groups to prosecution. abundant of his apex associates accept left the country. almost 50 websites that his team ran accept been blocked, and dozens of regional offices accept been closed.
the authorities accept moved to arrest the active voting website as well, barring some internet users can calm admit it. navalny‘s team has likewise created a active voting conversation bot on the messaging app telegram and published a catalogue of candidates active voting endorses in google docs and on youtube.
navalny‘s coherent associate ivan zhdanov on friday tweeted a screenshot of what appears to continue an email from apple, explaining why the app should continue removed from the abundance. the screenshot cites the extremism designation for the base for fighting adulteration and allegations of acceptance interpellation. “google, apple are making a arrogant mistake,” zhdanov wrote.
leonid volkov, navalny‘s apex strategist, wrote on facebook that the companies “bent to the kremlin’s booty.” he noted that the advance doesn’t touch users who accept already downloaded the app, and that it should continue functioning correctly.
peskov on friday denominated active voting “another effort at provocations that are noisome for the voters.”
as voting got underway in russia on friday morning, media outlets reported bulky lines and crowds at polling stations, attributing them to aver institutions and companies forcing their employees to vote.
peskov dismissed the allegations and suggested that those queuing at polling stations came there voluntarily accordingly they had to accomplish on the weekend or wanted to “free up” saturday and sunday.