Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Orthodox Christians Demand Punishment for Online Insults

Maxim Stulov / Vedomosti

Two Orthodox Christians have demanded that a resident of the southern Russian city of Stavropol be punished for hurting the feelings of believers online, the accused?€™s lawyer Andrei Sabinin said, the Gazeta.ru news portal reported Wednesday.

The two believers had been insulted by a post on social network VKontakete that said ?€?There?€™s no god.?€?

The victims were taken to a Stavropol regional court and questioned regarding the perceived insult to religious believers ?€” a criminal case has been opened under Section 1 of Article 148 of the Russia's Criminal Code. The hurtful comment was made by local resident Viktor Krasnov on VKontakte, Gazeta.ru reported.

?€?Today, court bailiffs brought the victims to court due to former soldier Alexander Kravtsov (who was brought from Abkhazia) and local resident Dmitry Barnyashev?€™s failure to appear at previous court hearings,?€? Sabinin said, Gazeta.ru reported.

Kravtsov emphasized that he spoke not only on his own behalf but on the behalf of other Orthodox Christians because he believes that their feelings have also been offended, Gazeta.ru reported.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more