Internet user from Krasnodar penalized for advocating terrorism online
Russian Court Fines Young Man for Justifying Terrorism Online
A 25-year-old resident of Novorossiysk was fined 400,000 Rubles and banned from administering websites and pages on electronic networks for two years, following a conviction for publicly justifying terrorism online. The conviction took place in a court in Russia's Southern Military District.
The offence was committed when the young man posted a publication on a social network, which justified the activities of Shamil Basayev, a convicted terrorist known for his terrorism, banditry, and attempted murder of law enforcement officers in the North Caucasus region.
Russia has strict laws against the public justification or propaganda of terrorism online, which fall under its anti-extremism and anti-terrorism legislation. These laws prohibit the creation, distribution, and even the search or access of content labeled by the state as extremist or terrorist.
Typical penalties include fines for individuals searching or accessing extremist content online, approximately $65, and fines for individuals advertising VPN services, around $2,500, and for companies up to $12,800. Broader criminal liability can apply for producing or promoting content considered extremist or terrorist, leading to imprisonment or large fines.
The Russian authorities enforce these laws through federal bodies like Roskomnadzor, which maintains a blacklist of prohibited content and internet resources. The legal definitions are broad and often used to target dissent, resulting in severe restrictions on freedom of expression, despite the constitution's protection of this right.
Recently, the FSB has detained another individual for calling for terrorist acts on Telegram, highlighting the ongoing efforts to combat online terrorism propaganda in Russia.
[1] Russian Law on Countering Extremist Activities [2] Russian Law on Information, Information Technologies, and Protection of Information [3] Freedom House: Russia's Internet Freedom Report [4] Amnesty International: Russia: Proposed amendments to the extremism law will further stifle freedom of expression [5] RFE/RL: Russia: Journalist Faces Trial On 'Propaganda Of Terrorism' Charge
- Despite the ongoing efforts to combat online terrorism propaganda, the broad interpretation of anti-extremism and anti-terrorism laws in Russia has raised concerns about freedom of expression, as it often targets dissent and restricts it, according to reports like Freedom House: Russia's Internet Freedom Report and Amnesty International: Russia: Proposed amendments to the extremism law will further stifle freedom of expression.
- These strict online laws in Russia extend to justifying terrorism, as seen in the case of the 25-year-old man who was fined 400,000 Rubles and banned from administering websites and pages on electronic networks for posting a publication on a social network that justified the activities of a convicted terrorist, Shamil Basayev, under the Russian Law on Countering Extremist Activities.
