Russian court fines Kommersant newspaper editor for alleged media violations PHOTO

A Russian court has fined Kommersant editor-in-chief Mikhail Lukin 60,000 rubles ($800) for alleged abuse of media freedom, following a report on the potential blocking of foreign video games.

Authorities accused the publishing house of disseminating unreliable socially significant information, according to media outlet Ostorozhno, Novosti.

The case stems from an article titled “The Court Will Change the Rules of the Game,” published on May 7, which reported that Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, could restrict access to foreign gaming companies’ products if they failed to comply with requirements to localise the personal data of Russian users.

In court, officials said the claims made in the article had been contradicted by an official letter from Roskomnadzor.

Lukin did not attend the hearing. His lawyer argued that the publication reflected only market participants’ assumptions about possible regulatory action and requested that the court treat the case as a minor violation, issuing only a warning.

The court rejected the request and imposed a fine of 60,000 rubles.

By Tamilla Hasanova