What repost you can be prosecuted for

Increasingly, we see news about people prosecuted for posting information on social networks that is contrary to the law. Are you already afraid to post another funny picture or meme on the page? Then you definitely need to know for the publication of what information you can be imprisoned or fined, and for which you will only receive likes and reposts.

Insult and slander

As much as you would like to publicly discuss your foe's flaws on the Internet, you shouldn't. Or worth it, but with knowledge of all the intricacies of Russian legislation.

Insult - this is a humiliation of the honor and dignity of a person, expressed in an indecent form. If you speak out in this way in relation to an individual, legal entity or official, you can get off with a fine of up to 100,000 rubles. But insulting a serviceman or a government official will cost more: up to correctional labor for up to one year.

It is not necessary to post offensive statements in the public domain on your page. Even if you write messages to a person by email (and from someone else's computer), you can be held accountable.

Slander - this is the spread of knowingly false information about a person, discrediting his honor and dignity and undermining his reputation. The information does not have to be in an offensive form. Depending on the content of the disseminated information and the person to whom this data is addressed, you may be sentenced up to a fine of 5 million rubles.

Express your grievances against your opponent on the Web in a decent manner, avoiding personalities. This is the best strategy for any dispute.

Insulting the feelings of believers

Since 2013, Russia has tightened responsibility for disrespecting objects of various religious cults. It is possible to offend the feelings of believers on the Internet by public actions expressing clear disrespect for society and committed in order to offend the religious feelings of believers. To be covered by this article, you need:

act in the presence of believers (publicly);
show obvious disrespect for society - oppose yourself to others and demonstrate disrespect to them;
directly offend the feelings of believers - with words, ridiculing speeches, images, - show disrespect for religion, religious literature, paraphernalia, canons. For this, they can also be brought to administrative responsibility.

Since the articles on insulting the feelings of believers are not unambiguous in their interpretation, and the practice of its application is not yet so extensive, the controversial criteria for the act are considered at the discretion of the court.

Extremist materials

Most often, the courts are held accountable precisely for the dissemination of extremist materials and appeals on the Internet (for public appeals to carry out extremist activities). These will be the calls for:

violent change of the constitutional order and borders of Russia;
propaganda of the exclusivity, superiority or inferiority of a person or a group of people on the basis of his social, racial, national, religious or linguistic affiliation or attitude to religion;
public justification of terrorism and other terrorist activities;
public display or propaganda of Nazi paraphernalia or symbols (and also great, but looking the same);
and many other things stipulated by the relevant law.

By the way, sending private messages to a person (albeit not publicly) also falls under this article.

It is punishable to commit actions (write messages or repost on the Web) aimed at inciting hatred or enmity, as well as humiliating the dignity of a person (or people) on the basis of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, attitude to religion. Yes, for the phrase "all women are fools, because women" can be put on trial and imprisoned for up to 5 years.

In order not to be held administratively liable for distributing extremist materials, from time to time check the federal list of banned extremist materials on the website of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.

Watch what you post on the Internet on behalf of yourself (and even on behalf of someone else's). A rash message can have much more serious consequences than you think.