Russia has reportedly blocked access to the website of Ferghana news agency without explaining the reason.
The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) reportedly blocked access to the website of Ferghana new agency in evening of October 1 without explaining the reason.
Roskomnadzor just noted on its website that access to the website of Ferghana news agency is restricted in the territory of the Russian Federation on the basis of Article 15.1 of the Federal Law “On Information, Information Technologies and Protection of Information.”
This article stipulates that upon identifying a site with illegal content, Roskomnadzor informs the website's owner and a respective hosting provider. If the content is not removed within three days, the website is then added to the register, which triggers a requirement for all Russian telecom operators to block an access to it.
Meanwhile, the Ferghana News Agency says it has not received warning from Roskomnadzor and does not know the reason for blockage access to its website.
The Ferghana News Agency is a certified Russian media outlet, serving the Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union. The Ferghana News Agency is notable because it employs correspondents in the major cities of all the central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union. The agency claims to be: "…one of the most popular resources dealing with the life of Central Asian countries of the former USSR."
Roskomnadzor is the Russian federal executive body responsible for censorship in media and telecommunications. Its areas include electronic media, mass communications, information technology and telecommunications; overseeing compliance with the law protecting the confidentiality of personal data being processed; and organizing the work of the radio-frequency service.
