Russians are facing criminal prosecution for sharing memes online, thanks to anti-extremism laws · Global Voices
A meta-meme circulating on Russian social media. COP looking at MEME: “Is this a criminal case?”
Imagine you’re online and you see an amusing Game of Thrones meme likening the resurrection of one of the main characters, <PERSON>, to the resurrection of <PERSON>. Chuckling to yourself, you re-post it on your social media page and promptly forget about it.
A few days later, the police raid your apartment and charge you with extremism. In addition to facing years in prison, you’re frozen out of your bank accounts.
Welcome to the reality that unsuspecting social media users across Russia are now facing as authorities ramp up their campaign against online extremism.
Though prosecutions for online posts are nothing new in Russia, this latest round has attracted special attention because many of them are based exclusively on memes. <PERSON>, a 19-year-old resident of the town of Barnaul, was recently charged under Article 148 of the Russian Criminal Code, for “insulting the feelings of religious believers” for posting several memes on religious themes, including the aforementioned <PERSON> meme.
As a result of the charges, he has been added to a national register of extremists and had his bank accounts frozen. In an interview with Meduza, <PERSON> said:
Я считаю, что для определенного процента людей это могло показаться оскорбительным, но не настолько, чтобы заводить уголовное дело.
I can see how for some people this could be offensive, but not so much that they could press charges.
<PERSON>’s situation isn’t unique, not even in his city of Barnaul. In a June 23 Twitter thread, fellow Barnaul resident <PERSON> described how a group of policemen came to her apartment with a search warrant, interrogated her about memes she had posted (some of which were racist, others offensive to religious sentiment) and confiscated her phone.
While <PERSON> initially laughed it off, the police taunted her, telling her that another woman had also thought it was a game until she was put behind bars for three years. 534
<PERSON> was later charged with extremism under Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code.
While the memes <PERSON> and <PERSON> posted could easily offend religious sentiments, they did not represent a direct threat, incitement to violence, or promotion of an extremist or violent ideology. And the Russian internet is full of memes like this. So what tipped off authorities? And how did they so swiftly identify <PERSON> and <PERSON>?
Both cases began with tips from a pair of students at a local higher-ed institute. Neither defendant knew these individuals personally. Because of this, <PERSON> feels there’s something more to his prosecution.
Оперативники обнаруживают меня каким-либо образом, предлагают студенткам написать заявления за определенные „плюшки“ на учебе или даже финансовую помощь.
The officers find out about me somehow and suggest that these students file a complaint for extra study “perks” or even financial support.
The situation may be less of a coincidence than it seems. Pressure on police in Russia to weed out extremism has created many situations in which authorities choose a target and then seek out justification for prosecution.
<PERSON> also suggested an ulterior motive during her interrogation. She had previously made several posts about <PERSON>, a Russian opposition figure known for his anti-corruption campaigns. It is unclear whether this had any bearing on her arrest. 880