Twitter has allegedly suspended the accounts of seven Serbian embassies and a US consulate, an official said Monday, calling the move “unacceptable.”
The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: statement The accounts of the embassies of the Republic of Serbia in Armenia, Iran, Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kuwait, and the consulate general in Chicago were suspended on August 18. You may have violated the rules of communication on that social network. ”
The suspension also affected the consulate general in Chicago, the office said, adding that it reached out to Twitter and asked the social media platform to unblock the country’s diplomatic and consular accounts.
“Without interfering with Twitter’s business policy, we would like to emphasize that it is unacceptable for diplomatic representatives of democratic nations not subject to any sanctions to be censored in this way.” The department was created recently, was not active, and the remaining accounts did not contain any content deemed inappropriate,” the ministry said.
“The Republic of Serbia is a country strategically committed to joining the European Union, harmonizing its political and democratic standards, including media freedom, with the highest European standards,” the statement added. rice field. “For this reason, it is ridiculous to censor so many diplomatic and consular posts on a social network that prides itself on promoting democracy and pluralism of opinion.”
The latest large-scale blocking of accounts comes shortly after the Twitter accounts of 13 MPs from the ruling Progressive Party and of Arnaud Gouillon, head of the Regional Diaspora and Cooperation with the Serbs, were blocked without explanation. was broken. His account has since been restored.
simmering with tension
Serbia’s foreign ministry said it hopes the ban on diplomatic and consular accounts “is not an attempt to obstruct and silence Serbia, primarily in its fight for the truth about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija.”
A Twitter spokesperson said: statement “In this case, we have taken enforcement action against a number of erroneous accounts, which have been restored,” it wrote to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on 19 August.
“Protecting the integrity of the conversation on Twitter is our number one priority. will continue to be enforced,” the spokesperson added.
The Epoch Times reached out to a Twitter spokesperson for comment.
Serbian President Alexander Vucic met with Kosovo’s Albanian authorities in Brussels on the day of the account suspension for EU-brokered talks. report.
Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo reignite in the next few weeks new law Issued by the Government of Kosovo, it requires everyone, including Serbs residing in Kosovo, to have a Kosovo ID card and license plate issued in Pristina.
Kosovo, a former state of Serbia, along with allies Russia and China, refused to recognize Serbia’s 2008 declaration of independence.
Recognized in over 100 countries including the US, UK, France and Germany.
It’s not the first time Twitter, which has come under fire for its attempts to censor and stifle free speech, has cracked down on accounts in Serbia.
Twitter nearly shut down in April 2020 8,558 accounts It said it engaged in “inauthentic concerted activities” and “worked to further Serbia’s ruling party, the Progressive Party of Serbia, and President Vucic, violating its policies on manipulation and spam.”
August 2021, Social Media Platforms label a large number of accounts It belongs to the pro-government media of Serbia as a state-owned media.
Twitter defines state media as “an outlet in which the state controls editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressure, and/or control over production and distribution.”
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Katabella Roberts is a news writer for The Epoch Times, focusing primarily on US, world and business news.