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Wikimedia Foundation fined for refusing to take down train-hopping video

For the Wikimedia Foundation, this is its 12th fine in Russia. In total, its fines have already reached 17.5 million rubles ($207,131)

MOSCOW, June 20. /TASS/. The magistrate court in Moscow has levied a fine against the Wikimedia Foundation, which owns the Russian-language Wikipedia, in the amount of 1.5 million rubles ($17,730) for refusing to remove a video found by Russian authorities giving instructions about how to hop from train to train.

According to a TASS correspondent reporting from the courtroom, the decision on the fine has not entered into force and can still be appealed.

"To find Wikimedia Foundation guilty under part 2 article 13.41 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (failure of the owner of a website to delete information or a web-page in case the obligation to delete such information, such a web page, is included in the legislation of the Russian Federation) and impose a penalty on this entity in the form of a fine in the amount of 1,500,000 rubles," the judge said.

For the Wikimedia Foundation, this is its 12th fine in Russia. In total, its fines have already reached 17.5 million rubles ($207,131).

According to case files, Wikipedia was brought to administrative responsibility on May 12 because of the content found by authorities showing the involvement of minors in illegal actions that pose a threat to their life and health. During the meeting, the company’s representative asked the court to throw out the administrative case due to the absence of corpus delicti, calling the video that became the subject of the proceedings harmless. Train hopping is a way of traveling on trains and other vehicles, which poses a risk to life and health.

Wikimedia Foundation Inc. is a non-profit organization registered as a charitable foundation in the United States. The organization is known as a platform for Wikipedia and related projects.