Telegram also suspended Russian opponent Alexei Navalny’s request for a vote.

Telegram withdrew jailed Russian opponent Alexei Navalny’s ‘smart vote’ request on Saturday, despite the fact that he had initially announced his intention to resist pressure from the Russian authorities to block him.

The Russian Telecommunications Governing Body requested Monday that this app be blocked, which voters can use to find out which candidate has the best chance of beating the candidates of President Vladimir Putin’s party in the parliamentary elections that started on Friday and end on Sunday. Apple and Google followed those instructions on Friday.

Some 108 million Russians are being called to the polls to elect the 450 members of the Duma, the lower house of parliament. Almost no opposition candidate has been able to stand in these elections, of which United Russia, Putin’s party, will be proclaimed the winner despite its growing unpopularity.. The other parties in parliament generally follow Kremlin guidelines.

The application created by the Navalny team analyzes, by district, which candidate from other training has the best chance of winning.

With its demise of the Telegram messaging network, which is very popular in Russia, the application is no longer available.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov of Russia has said he has limited himself to following Apple and Google, “who dictate the rules of the game.”

But he also said that “the fact that Apple and Google accept that there are blocked applications sets a dangerous precedent that will affect freedom of expression in Russia and around the world.”

Supporters of Navalny posted links on Twitter to Google docs recommending some candidates as it’s the only tool they still have at their fingertips, they said.

But hours later, they explained that Google had asked them to delete the documents, after receiving a request from the Russian telecommunications regulator, Roskomnadzor.

Google was contacted by the AFP to confirm this information, but there has been no response so far.

In January, Navalny was jailed after returning to Russia after being treated in Germany for severe poisoning that nearly cost him his life and which he accuses the Kremlin of..

Since, his movement was banned, accused of being an “extremist” and most of his allies had to go into exile or were arrested..

(With information from AFP)

KEEP READING: