Support The Moscow Times!

Twitter Unblocks Putin Parody Account After Free Speech Outcry

Twitter has unblocked a popular spoof account of Russian President Vladimir Putin after a storm of condemnation that the company was censoring free speech.

@DarthPutinKGB celebrated his return to Twitter after a two-day suspension with typical wisecracks:

The account, which has more than 60,000 followers, was suspended on Tuesday, along with a number of others that spoof Russian officials and institutions. Twitter gave no public explanation for their blocking or unblocking.

During the suspension, the man who has been running the @DarthPutinKGB account told The Moscow Times he thought Russian authorities were behind the move.

"I think that they cannot take being laughed at," he said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more