Far Fewer Cases for Inciting Hatred in Russia Brought This Year than Last

Paul Goble

            Staunton, May 6 – After the partial decriminalization at the end of last year of posts that had been the basis for criminal charges of inciting hatred or denigrating the dignity of various groups, the number of cases Russian officials have brought on the basis of this provision of the law has fallen precipitously, from 223 in 2018 to just nine in the first quarter of 2019.

            Interior Minister Vladimir  Kolokoltsev made the announcement today of a development that will reduce if not eliminate one of the easiest kind of crimes for Russian officials to identify and prosecute and one of the government’s actions that has most infuriated much of the Russian population (interfax.ru/russia/660255).

            Last year, it had become obvious that investigators and prosecutors loved this kind of crime because it made their jobs so easy and allowed them to post the kind of statistics that would win them preferment and promotion and that the population hated it because it meant that almost anyone who went online could be charged at any time. 

            In response, Vladimir Putin proposed and of course the Duma approved an amendment to the law that now means individuals can be charged under its terms, which include punishments of up to 300,000 rubles (5,000 US dollars) and five years incarceration, only if they are repeat offenders. A single post won’t be enough to bring charges.

            This is a welcome development, a rare case where the Kremlin has in fact backed down in the face of public pressure, although it is entirely possible that the regime’s real reason is a dawning recognition that prosecutors who are going after those who post online rather than real extremists are not serving Moscow’s interests.

            But it is not an unalloyed good because prosecutors will not be focusing on other crimes and because Putin’s moves, including a law he signed last week, will reduce Russians’ access to the Internet and thus limit their freedom in that way. Moreover, prosecutors who want to will almost always be able to find repostings that will justify bringing even the amended law to bear.

            Thus, while Russians and others may give two cheers for this move, they should not be misled into giving three.