Moscow’s Tagansky District Court has registered a lawsuit against Roskomnadzor and the Digital Development Ministry filed by 42 Russian citizens seeking to overturn the ban on voice calls in WhatsApp and Telegram. The plaintiffs argue that the restrictions violate constitutional rights and international norms.
One of the initiators is 29-year-old Kaluga politician Konstantin Larionov, a former regional campaign chief for Boris Nadezhdin. Former Nadezhdin штаб chief Dmitry Kisiev is also among the plaintiffs. Larionov told the outlet Vetër that citizens have the right to test the legality of such blocks in court and to choose for themselves how they receive information.
“We believe we are fully within our rights... and it is not for Roskomnadzor to limit us,” Larionov said.
He said the decision to block calls was political and may be tied to efforts to promote the MAX messenger, although officials said the measure was aimed at fighting fraud. The lawsuit argues that the authorities’ reasoning is unconvincing: the “Antifraud” system cited by the defendants is, according to the ministry itself, only 90% effective and therefore does not eliminate scam calls. The plaintiffs also dispute the claim that the ban is needed to combat terrorism.
The suit says the restrictions violate the rights to freely seek, receive and distribute information, as well as freedom of thought and speech, and conflict with Russia’s law “On Information,” the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights. The first hearing is scheduled for December 29, 2025. Larionov said anyone interested may join the lawsuit.
The article notes that other services have also been blocked amid broader communications restrictions in Russia, while some regions have no mobile internet access. Larionov said he still believes citizens can defend their rights through legal means despite previous attacks linked to his political and anti-war activity.