Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed a law on criminal responsibility for calls to extremism on the internet. Public calls for extremism and separatism on the internet and in the press can be punished with imprisonment of up to five years. Similar punishment is stipulated for spreading hatred on the internet.
According to the general director of the Center for Political Information, Alexei Mukhin, these measures will "certainly be useful". "The current situation on social networks goes beyond norms and rules, beyond morality and common sense," he thinks."Of course it would be a targeted practice with limited applicability, but the fact that such calls can cause criminal prosecution should limit some hotheads that exert pressure on unstable social groups which could lead to an escalation of violence," the expert said.Sergey Goncharov, a member of Moscow City Council's security committee, completely agrees with him."It is fully logical that people who do not understand and keep going online with extremist calls should be punished," he explained.Goncharov said that the measures are not unusual. "They were taken long ago in many civilized countries," he said.
Public calls for extremism and separatism on the internet and in the press can be punished with imprisonment of up to five years. Similar punishment is stipulated for spreading hatred on the internet.
According to the general director of the Center for Political Information, Alexei Mukhin, these measures will "certainly be useful". "The current situation on social networks goes beyond norms and rules, beyond morality and common sense," he thinks.
"Of course it would be a targeted practice with limited applicability, but the fact that such calls can cause criminal prosecution should limit some hotheads that exert pressure on unstable social groups which could lead to an escalation of violence," the expert said.
Sergey Goncharov, a member of Moscow City Council's security committee, completely agrees with him.
"It is fully logical that people who do not understand and keep going online with extremist calls should be punished," he explained.
Goncharov said that the measures are not unusual. "They were taken long ago in many civilized countries," he said.
