Nearly 400 Russians have Been Fined for Telling Jokes about or Insulting Putin since That became a Crime 6 Years Ago, ‘Vyorstka' Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Aug. 19 – Since the Duma made it a criminal offense to tell jokes about or otherwise insult Vladimir Putin, 379 Russians have been found guilty and fined between 30,000 and 100,000 rubles (300 to 1,000 US dollars), according to an investigation conducted by journalists of the Vyorstka portal.

            At least ten have been found guilty of this offense more than once, the news portal says; and to put it in context, it notes that fines for violence within families are far less, ranging from 5,000 to 30,000 rubles (50 to 300 US dollars) (verstka.media/kak-rossiyan-nakazyvayut-za-neuvazhenie-k-putinu).

            The portal provides examples which show both how thin-skinned Putin is and also how eager his siloviki are to use this law to boost their statistics and show loyalty, something they have done with increasing frequency since the Kremlin leader launched his expanded war in Ukraine in February 2022.