MOSCOW. Feb 12 (Interfax) - The Russian Federal Financial Monitoring Service has added Andy Stone, spokesman for Meta (designated as extremist and banned in Russia), to the list of individuals and entities involved in extremism or terrorism.
Stone appeared on the service's list on Monday.
By law, banks freeze accounts and deny service to such individuals and entities.
Last year, Moscow's Basmanny District Court issued an arrest warrant for Stone in absentia on counts of extremism.
"The court upheld an investigator's motion and issued an arrest warrant for Andy Mark Stone," court spokesperson Olga Nazarova said.
The court noted that investigators had charged Stone in absentia with aiding and abetting terrorism through the abuse of office. He faces up to 20 years in a penitentiary.
Stone was put on the international wanted list.
The court met on November 24. The in-absentia arrest warrant has yet to take effect, as an appeal has been filed by the defense at the Moscow City Court.
Earlier, the Russian Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal case against Meta employees into calls for violence against Russian citizens.
"Company press secretary Andy Stone said on the social network that Meta had suspended the ban on calls for violence against Russian troops on its platforms as a form of political self-expression," the committee said.
It also said it would make a legal evaluation of Stone's actions.