Hundreds protest against Russian anti-terror law

 Several hundred people protested in Moscow on Tuesday against controversial amendments to anti-terror legislation they say violate internet freedom and their constitutional right to privacy.

The measures, signed into law by President Vladimir Putin last month, boost the surveillance powers for the security services by requiring communication providers to store users' calls, messages, photographs and videos for six months, as well as metadata for up to three years.

They also have to provide security services with access to this data and any encryption mechanisms needed to use it.

The anti-terror law also criminalises several offences, lowers the age of criminal responsibility to 14 for some crimes and extends prison sentences for online crimes like abetting terrorism.

"This is a significant threat to the Russian constitution," opposition blogger Anton Nossik told protesters. "There are lots of terrible things in this legislation, many unconstitutional things that we can object to as citizens."

An AFP photographer at the scene said there were nearly 1,000 people taking part in the protest.

The opposition deplored that authorities had ordered that the demonstration take place in a densely wooded park in northeastern Moscow, far from the public eye.

"I welcome you to my first protest experience in the woods," Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said.

"The fact that we are in the woods shows that there is something bad happening in our country."

The passage of the bills through Russia's lower and upper houses of parliament sent shockwaves through the internet and telecoms industries, which said that the measures would hurt them financially.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last month that while Putin signed the legislation, he also tasked the government to monitor "how this law is realised" and take measures if there are "undesirable" consequences.

The law inspired the former US intelligence contractor turned privacy activist Edward Snowden to issue a rare comment on a domestic policy in Russia, where he is currently living in exile.

Snowden wrote on Twitter that the law's signing was a "dark day for Russia".

"Signing the #BigBrother law must be condemned," he said, adding that he would criticise the legislation despite fearing retaliation from Russian authorities.

Source: AFP