A United Russia party deputy on Wednesday called for Vkontakte's founder, Pavel Durov, to be charged with extremism over an image relating to the Volgograd bombing that appeared on the social networking website.
Mikhail Markelov, deputy head of the State Duma's social and religious organizations committee, said that an image published by one of Vkontakte's communities displayed an "openly offensive, and even blasphemous attitude to what happened in Volgograd."
Though it is not known which particular image Markelov was referring to, it is likely to be one published by the MDK group that carried the message: "Guys, terrorist attack in Volgograd. Dead bodies, cries for help," followed by obscenities, Lenta.ru reported.
The post has attracted more than 36,000 "likes."
The group has since defended the image, saying that their only intention was to inform people about what had happened in Volgograd.
Despite the fact that social networking groups are created and moderated by third party users, the lawmaker wanted to make Vkontakte's founder responsible for the publication.
"Let us be open about this question: we have the surname and the understanding of who owns this resource — Mr. Durov," Markelov said. "It is necessary to demand a criminal case" against him.
"It is extremism in its pure form, and vandalism at the same time," Markelov added.
On Monday suicide bomber Naida Asiyalova detonated an explosive device on a bus in Volgograd, killing seven people, including herself, and injuring about 50 others. Three days of mourning for have been declared in the region.
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