ADVERTISEMENT

Site of top Kremlin critic blocked 'after tycoon complaint'

State body Roskomnadzor has threatened to block any site distributing the video, including YouTube and Instagram, but both remain accessible in Russia.

"Roskomnadzor has blocked https://navalny.com/ at the request of (Russian oligarch Oleg) Deripaska," Navalny said on Twitter.

"The site remains accessible through some service providers, but this is temporary," he added.

Roskomnadzor confirmed the website had been added to a list of banned pages that service providers are required to block, in comments to Russian news agencies.

ADVERTISEMENT

Navalny, who has been barred from running against President Vladimir Putin in next month's election, says the video appears to show The Russian leader's former top foreign policy adviser Sergei Prikhodko vacationing on the yacht of 50-year-old Oleg Deripaska, an aluminium magnate.

Both Deripaska and Prikhodko, who rarely makes comments to the media, denied the allegations.

Call for election boycott

The woman who Navalny said filmed the video, Nastya Rybka, describes herself as a model and has penned a book on how to seduce billionaires.

She has more than 60,000 followers on Instagram where she has posted scantily-clad or naked snaps of herself and a video of herself having sex.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rybka's posts relating to the allegations were no longer accessible on Instagram yesterday, but Navalny's 25-minute YouTube video -- that has racked up more than five million hits since it was posted last week -- was still available.

Navalny has called for a boycott of Russia's March 18 presidential election after he was barred from running over a criminal conviction he says is politically motivated.

He is informally barred from appearing on state media and so relies on his own site and social media to spread his message, with posts drawing thousands onto the street across the country last month in support of his call for a "voters' strike," or boycott of polls.

Navalny's LiveJournal blog was blocked in March 2014 along with a number of opposition news websites after demonstrations in Moscow against Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine.

The reason given by Roskomnadzor was that he was under house arrest at the time and was not allowed to use the internet.

ADVERTISEMENT

In January 2015, while he was still under house arrest, his entire Navalny.com site was blocked over a page allegedly containing calls to take part in illegal protests.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

Aiyedatiwa sends 12 commissioner nominees to Ondo Assembly for confirmation

Aiyedatiwa sends 12 commissioner nominees to Ondo Assembly for confirmation

Woman saves animal from the streets — then she finds out it is something else

Woman saves animal from the streets — then she finds out it is something else

Alake calls on Badaru to fish out illegal miners, violators of mining laws

Alake calls on Badaru to fish out illegal miners, violators of mining laws

Divers find bodies of 2 people who drowned after Baltimore bridge collapsed

Divers find bodies of 2 people who drowned after Baltimore bridge collapsed

INEC rejects LP's National convention in Anambra, questions venue change

INEC rejects LP's National convention in Anambra, questions venue change

8 people including professor declared wanted over killing of 17 soldiers

8 people including professor declared wanted over killing of 17 soldiers

INEC to publish credentials of 17 Edo governorship candidates on Saturday

INEC to publish credentials of 17 Edo governorship candidates on Saturday

Hardship: Abiodun to begin sale of rice to Ogun residents at 50% discount

Hardship: Abiodun to begin sale of rice to Ogun residents at 50% discount

Labour Party offers Peter Obi 2027 presidential ticket unopposed

Labour Party offers Peter Obi 2027 presidential ticket unopposed

Pulse Sports

Nigeria vs Mali: Has Finidi George done enough to land Super Eagles job permanently?

Nigeria vs Mali: Has Finidi George done enough to land Super Eagles job permanently?

I want to emulate Keshi and win the AFCON - Finidi George shares ambitious Super Eagles dream

I want to emulate Keshi and win the AFCON - Finidi George shares ambitious Super Eagles dream

Michelle Alozie: I had to do it because of African referees

Michelle Alozie: I had to do it because of African referees

AC Milan star reveals he was named after Super Eagles legend Tijani Babangida

AC Milan star reveals he was named after Super Eagles legend Tijani Babangida

Give him the job! Super Eagles fans beg NFF to make Finidi George permanent coach after Nigeria's win over Ghana

Give him the job! Super Eagles fans beg NFF to make Finidi George permanent coach after Nigeria's win over Ghana

Super Eagles 2-1 Black Stars: Nigerians praise Iwobi, Lookman, Finidi George after friendly victory against Ghana

Super Eagles 2-1 Black Stars: Nigerians praise Iwobi, Lookman, Finidi George after friendly victory against Ghana

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT