He Supported Bombing Syria a Little Too Eagerly, Now RuNet Pioneer Faces Prison
Even in Russia calls for genocide, to “bomb them all,” are considered extremist and can be used as grounds for criminal prosecution. Some think that this blogger should not be punished because the real reason he’s being prosecuted is his opposition to Assad, and I think it is pretty draconian justice to put someone in prison for calling for violence in an area where they have zero influence.
Regardless, it is both hateful and genocidal to advocate for the killing of entire groups, so you might be cautious if you are challenged to support this blogger in the name of “internet freedom of speech.”
On Monday, a Russian state prosecutor called for prominent blogger and oppositionist Anton Nossik to be sentenced to two years in a penal colony for publishing “extremist statements” online. Nossik, one of the “founding fathers” of the Russian internet, was charged in February for publishing a blog post on his Live Journal account entitled “Wipe Syria from the Face of the Earth.”
Prosecutors allege that Nossik violated Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code, “Incitement of Hatred or Enmity, as well as Abasement of Human Dignity,” which carries with it a maximum penalty of 4 years in prison.
The offending post, which was published on October 1, 2015, just weeks before Russia launched its bombing campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, remains active on Nossik’s Live Journal account. The blogger, it appears, ran afoul of the Kremlin by expressing open and vehement opposition to the Assad regime.