MOSCOW, June 20 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court upheld on Monday the prohibition of Meta Platforms Inc in Russia for extremist activity, RAPSI learnt from the court’s press service.

The court declared a lower instance’s ruling legal and reasonable, and dismissed the U.S. corporation’s appeal. The ban thus came into effect.

In March, the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow barred Meta’s Instagram and Facebook social network as extremist platforms upon a lawsuit filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia. 

The prosecutors’ move was triggered by the U.S. media holding’s policy permitting its users from certain countries to publish information containing calls for force and violence against Russian nationals, including military servicemen. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, doing so, the company backs terrorism and incitement to hatred and hostility against Russian people.

The Investigative Committee earlier opened a criminal case over calls for violence and murder of Russians over the Meta employees’ actions.

The U.S. media company in turn denied extremism on its social networks and called the prosecutors’ demands disproportionate.