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190

UK government says anyone working in Britain for the Russian state will have to register and declare what they are doing or face jail (www.gov.uk)

submitted 4 days ago by Hotznplotzn to c/unitedkingdom@feddit.uk

33 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Russia is to be put on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), meaning anyone working for the Russian state in the UK will need to declare what they are doing or risk jail, the government announced [...]

Introduced under the National Security Act 2023, FIRS is a tool to help protect our democracy, economy and society from covert, deceptive or otherwise harmful activities against UK interests. The enhanced tier has been specifically designed to shed light on activities directed by particular foreign powers which pose a threat to the safety or interests of the UK.

Russia is the second country to be placed on the enhanced tier, following the announcement in March that Iran would be specified. The government will designate all parts of the Russian state – including its president, its parliament, all Russian ministries and their agencies, and the Russian intelligence services.

The specification of the Russian state is in response to the significant and persistent threat Russia poses to the UK and our interests, which has only increased in recent years. Russian hostile acts on UK soil have ranged from the use of a deadly nerve agent in Salisbury, malign cyber incidents - which included targeting UK parliamentarians through spear-phishing campaigns - as well as espionage and arson.

[...]

Meanwhile, Russia continues to wage its unprovoked and illegal war against Ukraine, a war which Russia could end by tomorrow by withdrawing its forces. The UK remains committed to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and will continue to exert maximum economic pressure to stop Russia from threatening and undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, and to help ensure Russia pays for the damage it has caused.

[...]

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[–] PhilipTheBucket@ponder.cat -1 points 3 days ago

I get that yeah, but mine gives more context. Seeing other comments besides that one that the three accounts voted on in exactly the same fashion as each other, in the same order, and the pace of voting generally to give context to how unusual the little block all within 15 minutes is, gives a clearer impression of how unusual it is. The other comment they all voted the same way on wasn't any kind of particularly notable comment to draw every Hexbear user's attention somehow.

It's not really ironclad or anything, but it's certainly sus. And yes I agree, it sort of looks like Plinky's comment and voting was genuine, and then one Hexbear person noticed the comment after a while and voted on it three times. Why they do that sort of thing, I don't really have a clear idea.