![]() 'Charges of “incitement to extremism,” coupled with increasingly restrictive public assembly and protest regulations, are what tends to land users in hot water. A retweet of an image, a republished post on VKontakte and even an anti-fascist Donald Duck cartoon can cost Russian citizens unfettered access to the Internet. Article 282 of the criminal code presents a fairly vague definition of what amounts to “promoting extremism” and is broadly applied as a censorship tool. Together with other repressive laws, it has resulted in a handful of court cases, but in most of them, the court proceedings have ended with suspended sentences, administrative penalties, or fines. Now, the Surgut court verdict has created the first precedent of a real prison sentence for “extremist” activity online.' Picture source: Website of government of Russia Sources: Tetyana Lokot, 'Russia Sees Its First Real Prison Sentence for ‘Promoting Extremism’ on Social Media, Global Voices, 1 December 2012 Игорь Лесовских, 'В России впервые назначено реальное лишение свободы за пропаганду экстремизма в соцсетях,' Kommersant, 1 December 2015 'Жителя Сургута приговорили к году колонии за "экстремизм в соцсетях",' Радио Свобода, 1 December 2015 'В России впервые на год осужден сторонник "Правого сектора" за публикацию "В Контакте",' Российский Диалог, 1 December 2015Георгий Бородянский, 'Жителя Сургута приговорили к году колонии-поселения за поддержку «Правого сектора»,' Новая газета, 1 December 2015 'Олег Новоженин,' Герои воли, 1 December 2015 |