Russia bans ‘Innocence of Muslims’

Moscow's Tverskoy Court has banned the "Innocence of Muslims" film today, RIA Novosti reported. The ban affects all of Russia.

Shortly after the ruling was made, Google announced that it would comply and block access to the film in Russia. "If a country where YouTube is localized, Google Inc. or its daughter company YouTube LLC receives a court order or an official announcement that a particular video on YouTube is ruled to be illegal, then after review of the order the company will block the video on the territory of that country," a Google spokesperson told RIA Novosti.

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Prosecutor Viktoria Maslova had argued that the video "puts the Islamic religion in a bad light and aids the rise of religious intolerance in the Russian Federation", the Itar-Tass news agency reported. The judge agreed, ruling that the video was "extremist," Reuters reported. The court order means that distribution of the video will be illegal in Russia, Bloomberg News reported. Some distribution companies have already been blocking access to the film. 

Last Friday, a Russian court in Chechnya also blocked access to the film. That action paved the way for prosecutors to appeal for today's federal ban, RT.com reported.