UPDATE 3: Moscow crt fines Telegram for non-coop with security service

(Adds quotes, detail in last 2 paragraphs)

MOSCOW/SKOLKOVO, Moscow, Oct 16 (PRIME) -- A Moscow district magistrate’s court has fined messenger Telegram 800,000 rubles for its refusal to provide the Federal Security Service with information to decode messages, the court’s press secretary Yulia Bocharova said on Monday.

“The court found Telegram Messenger LLP guilty of an administrative violation and imposed punishment in terms of a fine of 800,000 rubles,” Bocharova said.

Arseny Shcheltsin, director for project activities at the Internet Development Institute (IDI), said Russian authorities could endlessly impose fines on Telegram for misconduct or block it as a last resort.

“I’m sure that the fine is incomparable to possible negative consequences that could emerge because of its refusal to cooperate with law enforcement entities. On the other hand, the fine is much less that effect from the planned PR campaign of the messenger, which comes after the announcement of the fine. Considering the minimum amount of the fine for the violation (with the maximum one being at 1 million rubles), financial claims could repeat,” Shcheltsin said.

Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov said the messenger will choose a team of lawyers within a couple of days.

“Lawyers willing to take this case are welcome to get in touch with us…During a couple of days we’ll choose the team with the maximum experience in such cases,” Durov said in his VKontakte page.

Spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, said earlier that blocking of Telegram in the country is out of the question for a while.

Presidential adviser for the Internet German Klimenko called on Durov to cooperate with Russian authorities.

“The performance ‘Forcing Telegram to peace,’ or to execute obligations of organizers of information distribution, has been on for quite a long time. I could hardly imagine a local player that would go as far in its relations with the government as to an open letter of the head of the communications service and a lawsuit from the Federal Security Service…I shall admit that Pavel stunningly pulls hype of any cause,” Klimenko said.

“When Telegram faces a real threat of losing a market, like it was the case with Indonesia, Durov’s reaction was reasonable and responsible. I’d like Durov to wrap up his performance and switch relations with Russia at least to the level equal to the Indonesian communications.”

Telegram will unavoidably start working with law-enforcement entities, Klimenko said. “I don’t see any companies working on the territory of any country without cooperation with these territories either in the long-term or in the short-term.”

“All the same, all multinational corporations will team up, they all will, Skype or Microsoft, which gives codes,” he said, adding it is difficult to say when it happens.

(57.6196 rubles – U.S. $1)

End