Russian deputies vote to punish the search for “extremist” content online
Russian deputies voted at second reading a bill which plans to punish the research on the Internet of classified content “Extremists”a measure that further accentuates repression in Russia.
The definition of what is “Extremist” is very wide in Russian legislation, which may concern both terrorist or ultra -nationalist groups and political opponents or religious movements. The organization of the deceased opponent Alexei Navalny is thus classified “Extremist” in Russia, just like the “LGBT international movement”.
This bill provides fines of up to 5,000 rubles (around 55 euros) for people looking for content “Extremists” online. It also sanctions up to 500,000 rubles (around 5,500 euros) those who transmit the SIM cards of their phones to other people or who promote VPNs, systems, allowing to circumvent censorship.
Rare thing, this text, voted Thursday at 283 votes for, 22 against and 22 abstentions, caused criticism even within pro-Kremlin circles. Echoing them, the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, questioned by the France-Presse agency during a press briefing, asked “Detailed explanations” to the initiators of the project “To answer questions that people ask themselves” about it. He recognized that this bill has “A resonance” in the population.
The deliberations at Duma, the lower room of Parliament, did not however make it possible to clarify the exact methods of the application of this bill in judicial practice. A deputy for the Communist Party, Alexei Kourinny, estimated that the text would lead to a risk of fines for 40% of the population Russian, those who use a VPN to bypass the blocking of social networks such as Facebook and Instagram, prohibited in Russia. “It is absolutely unfair to register all these people on the list of enemies and to punish them”he scandalized.
Tuesday, the Duma also voted in third reading a law which makes it possible to recognize “Extremist” An entire community if one of its members has been classified as such, another legislation which strengthens repression.
