Stone Andy (Andy Stone)

Stone Andy (Andy Stone)

Biography

2023: Wanted list in Russia in terrorism promotion case

On November 26, 2023, it became known that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation had put on the wanted list in Russia a spokeswoman for Meta (recognized as an extremist organization; activities in the Russian Federation are prohibited) Andy Stone (Andy Stone). He became a defendant in the criminal case, but the article according to which he is brought to justice is not specified as of the specified date.

In March 2022, in light of the current geopolitical situation, Meta temporarily lifted Facebook Instagram the ban on calls for violence against Russian military personnel on its social networks and (both officially banned in Russia). Then Stone said that Meta "allowed forms of political expression that would usually violate the rules of social networks, such as aggressive statements." At the same time, it was emphasized that calls for violence against the Russian civilian population on Meta platforms are still prohibited.

On March 11, 2022, a criminal case was opened in the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia "in connection with illegal calls for murder and violence against citizens of the Russian Federation by employees of the American company Meta." These actions contain signs of crimes under Articles 280, 205.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (public calls for extremist activities; promoting terrorist activities).

A card with data from a spokeswoman for Meta appeared in the search database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia: it says that "Stone Andy Mark, born in 1981, is wanted under the article of the Criminal Code."

Earlier, the Investigative Committee of Russia stated that within the framework of the criminal case, the necessary investigative measures are being taken to provide a legal assessment of the actions of Stone and other Meta employees.^[1]

2024

Inclusion in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring

In February 2024, Rosfinmonitoring included in the list of extremists and terrorists a spokeswoman for Meta (the company is recognized as extremist in Russia, its activities are prohibited) Andy Stone. The relevant information is contained on the website of the department.

Earlier, the Basmanny Court of Moscow arrested Andy Stone in absentia in a criminal case on assistance to terrorist activities (part 2 of article 205.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Details of the case were not disclosed by February 12, 2024.

𝓲

Al Arabiya

On March 11, 2022, Reuters, citing Meta's internal correspondence, reported that the company decided not to temporarily stop the publication of calls for violence against the Russian military and authorities on its sites. Then Andy Stone confirmed that the company would indeed make a relaxation for "forms of political expression" and lift the ban on some calls for violence.

Later, the Investigative Committee of Russia (TFR) opened a criminal case "in connection with illegal calls for murder and violence against Russian citizens by employees of the American company Meta." The TFR then said that it would give a legal assessment of the actions of Andy Stone and other employees of the corporation.

As a result, the Investigative Committee opened a case under Art. 280 (public calls for extremist activities) and Art. 205.1 (assistance to terrorist activities). The defendants in them face up to five and 15 years in prison, respectively.

Stone's surname appeared in the list of persons and organizations in respect of which there is information about their involvement in extremist activities or terror, on the Rosfinmonitoring website on February 12, 2024. The surname is listed under No. 11 023. According to the law, banks freeze the funds of persons included in the list and suspend the maintenance of their accounts.^[2]

Absentee sentence - six years in prison

On April 22, 2024, the Second Western District Military Court in Moscow sentenced in absentia the press secretary of Meta Corporation (in Russia it was recognized as extremist, its activities are prohibited) Andy Stone to six years in a general regime colony. A US citizen was found guilty of justifying terrorism (part 2 of article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

According to Interfax, during the debate of the parties, the prosecutor asked to exclude the charge of public calls for the implementation of terrorism, brought for comments on the posts of users with calls to kill the Russian military during a special military operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, and to appoint Andy Stone a sentence of seven years in prison with serving in a maximum security colony.

𝓲

Politico

The defense insisted on an acquittal due to the lack of corpus delicti in Stone's actions. Stone's lawyer insisted that his words were not directed against the Russian Armed Forces. She also drew attention to the fact that the statement was made when the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) were not yet part of the Russian Federation. Stone pleaded not guilty.

It took two court sessions to hear the case. Stone's sentence, in addition to six years in a general regime colony in absentia, includes a ban on administering Internet resources for four years. The term of punishment for the spokeswoman for Meta should be calculated from the moment of his detention in the territory of the Russian Federation or extradition to Russia.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, a spokeswoman for Meta posted on his Twitter page (the service was subsequently renamed X) a publication that "justified aggressive, hostile and violent actions against servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation participating in a special military operation."^[3]

Notes