Pro

On the morning of March 18, the Investigative Committee of Russia announced the detention of comedian Artemy Ostanin at the Belarusian border as he was attempting to leave Russia. Shortly before, authorities had opened a criminal case against the standup performer for «inciting hatred» (Article 282, Part 2, Clause ‘A’ of the Russian Criminal Code) based on a joke about a legless man. According to pro-war Z-channels, Ostanin’s joke allegedly referenced veterans of the war in Ukraine. The comedian himself denies this. Later reports revealed that Ostanin was beaten during his arrest and the comedian was placed in a pre-trial detention center (SIZO).

On the morning of March 18, the Investigative Committee of Russia announced the detention of comedian Artemy Ostanin at the Belarusian border as he was attempting to leave Russia. Shortly before, authorities had opened a criminal case against the standup performer for «inciting hatred» (Article 282, Part 2, Clause ‘A’ of the Russian Criminal Code) based on a joke about a legless man. According to pro-war Z-channels, Ostanin’s joke allegedly referenced veterans of the war in Ukraine. The comedian himself denies this. Later reports revealed that Ostanin was beaten during his arrest and the comedian was placed in a pre-trial detention center (SIZO).

On the morning of March 18, the Investigative Committee of Russia announced the detention of comedian Artemy Ostanin at the Belarusian border as he was attempting to leave Russia. Shortly before, authorities had opened a criminal case against the standup performer for «inciting hatred» (Article 282, Part 2, Clause ‘A’ of the Russian Criminal Code) based on a joke about a legless man. According to pro-war Z-channels, Ostanin’s joke allegedly referenced veterans of the war in Ukraine. The comedian himself denies this. Later reports revealed that Ostanin was beaten during his arrest and the comedian was placed in a pre-trial detention center (SIZO).

In recent months, we have received numerous reports from users across West Asia and North Africa (WANA) expressing alarm over a little-known but deeply intrusive application—AppCloud—pre-installed on Samsung’s A and M series smartphones. Without users’ knowledge or consent, this software collects sensitive personal data, cannot be removed without compromising device security, and offers no clear information about its privacy practices.

AppCloud, developed by the controversial Israeli company ironSource (now owned by Unity), is embedded into devices sold in countries where such affiliations carry legal implications. Despite the serious privacy and security risks, Samsung has offered no transparency on how AppCloud functions, what data it collects, or why users cannot opt out.

This open letter, addressed to Samsung, calls for immediate transparency, accountability, and dialogue. Users deserve to know what is installed on their devices and how their data is being used, especially amid Israel’s espionage campaigns in the region.

The Christian fascists and oligarchs gleefully handing Donald Trump his sharpie and executive orders are not making war on the deep state, the radical left or to protect us from “antisemites.” They are making war on verifiable fact, the rule of law and the transparency and accountability that is only possible with a free press, the right to dissent, a vibrant culture and a separation of powers, including an independent judiciary.