A minister in Russias republic of Chechnya on Mondayslammed a federal government choice to obstruct the Telegram messaging app in the area over security issues, calling the moveirrational andprejudiced.The criticism from Akhmed Dudayev, Chechnyas details and national policy minister, followed an announcement from officials in surrounding Dagestan that Telegram had been prohibited in both regions over worries it could be utilized by enemies.The decision to block Telegram in two North Caucasus Federal District areas Chechnya and Dagestan was made at the federal level on the suggestion of law enforcement agencies, Dagestans Digital Development Minister Yury Gamzatov told press reporters on Saturday.Its typically used by enemies, Gamzatov stated, indicating riots at Makhachkala International Airport on Oct.
29, 2023.
That night, a mob of 1,200 people stormed the airport after reports spread on regional Telegram channels that a flight from Tel Aviv was carrying Jewish passengers.
The riot emerged in the middle of anger over Israels war on Gaza.Dudayev, a close ally of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, called on federal authorities to raise what he described as the absolutely unreasonable and irrational ban.If this is not bias, whats the reason for picking the republic of Chechnya? How does the circumstance here vary from other Russian areas? he said.We prompt you to reconsider this decision, given that its homeowners have the same right to receive and distribute information as other people of our nation, Dudayev wrote on Telegram.Telegram, released in 2013 by Russian-born tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov and his sibling, has actually billed itself as a champion of anti-censorship, user privacy and specific freedoms.A Moscow court ordered a ban on Telegram in 2018, but the effort was later on abandoned.Durov was detained in France last summertime on accusations of stopping working to curb extremist and unlawful content on the platform.He was later on given conditional release after posting bail.