The firm didn't deny it. It issued retraction. So, it is genuine. And the firm wants the Russian regime to know that it is genuine. All that absolutely not surprising given the Russian environment.

>- it goes directly against several key employees rights policies which we are reminded of by the firm itself several times a year

nor policy nor "employees rights" (who is going to enforce them? Russian gov-t?) are worth losing GazProm and Norilsknickel as clients and becoming political enemy of Putin. People in Russia are arrested today for just retweet of a thread mentioning the date of protests (like that RBC editor).