MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. Russia’s media watchdog Roskomnadzor expects Facebook and Instagram to clarify their reasons for banning the accounts of Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, Roskomnadzor’s press service told TASS on Monday.

Chairman of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) Committee for Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications Leonid Levin said earlier that he planned to request clarification from Facebook and Instagram in regard to the banning of Kadyrov’s accounts. According to Levin, the Committee and Roskomnadzor may issue a joint request.

"Roskomnadzor supports the initiative put forward by Leonid Levin to send a request to Facebook and Instagram. If the social networks fail to clarify their reasons for banning in the near future, the request will be submitted," a source in the media watchdog said.

On Saturday, Facebook and Instagram blocked the access to Kadyrov’s accounts. On the same day, the head of Chechnya announced that a new social network, named Mylistory, was being tested in the region, which "is just as good" as foreign social networks.