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Russia Bans Bad Language for Remand Prisoners

Alexandra Astakhova / Vedomosti

Russia's Justice Ministry has banned prisoners kept in pretrial detention centers from using abusive language and prison slang, the Interfax news agency reported Thursday, citing a statement published on the government's legal information website.

According the Justice Ministry's statement, prisoners are now prohibited “when communicating with other people to use obscene, threatening, insulting or slanderous expressions and slang.”

Prisoners on remand are also not allowed to block or obstruct surveillance cameras, to pass personal belongings to other inmates, to buy them from other inmates or to lend them in violation of the established procedure, or to take medicine without a prescription from a prison doctor.

However, the Justice Ministry has expanded the list of personal belongings and food items allowed.

“In particular, suspects and accused persons are permitted to carry and store electric kettles, shower gel, shaving gel and deodorant (excluding aerosols),” according to a ministry press release, Interfax reported.

Prisoners now have the right to use electronic devices without Internet access or cameras.

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