Last year, in protest to Russia's anti-blasphemy law that criminalized playing Pokémon GO in church, vlogger Ruslan Sokolovsky filmed himself catching Pokémons in Yekaterinburg’s Church of All Saints, the site where the last Emperor of Russia Nicholas II and his family were murdered in 1918, and shared the footage on his YouTube channel:

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The 22-year old was then detained for two months for “inciting hatred” and “insulting religious feelings” after posting the video, and later taken to a pre-trial detention center for breaching the terms of his house arrest after the young man had posted a video on the Internet though he had been banned from using the web and mobile communications. Judgement was passed this Thursday and Sokolovsky was found guilty of all charges.

"In accordance with the expert evaluation, the court found blogger Sokolovsky guilty of inciting hatred, violating religious feelings and illegal possession of special technical means - a pen with a video camera," said judge Yekaterina Shoponyak who granted the prosecutors' wish and gave the vlogger a 3.5-year suspended sentence.

Judge Shoponyak pointed out that the 22-year old video blogger was on trial not only for playing the game in the church but also for posting several videos that offended believers. She listed "mockery of the immaculate conception," ''denial of the existence of Jesus and Prophet Muhammad" and "giving an offensive description of Patriarch Kirill," the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

During the court hearings, Sokolovsky did not deny that he had been the author of these videos but concerning the pen with a camera, he reportedly said that not only was the pen not his, but that it wasn’t a camera at all, but instead just a light bulb.

During the interrogation of eyewitnesses, the blogger apologized to all worshippers who had complained about being offended.

What do you think of this case? Was the verdict fair in finding Sokolovsky guilty who on top of violating the country's anti-blasphemy law, additionally breached the terms of his house arrest? Or is suppressing one's freedom of expression a more serious offense?

SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2

 

[Yil]

I dont remember women taking over after protesting for rights, or black people, or many other groups throughout history. I dont say why atheists in Russia would be any different.

Okay I was talking about any group that went through war.

 

[kuwanger]

Amazing amount of boot lickers, here. There is something fundamentally wrong with blasphemy laws for many reasons. One major one is they tend to be disingenuous. As noted, in Soviet Russia officially something like 98% of the populace was atheist. Now, we have most people claiming to be Christian? This sort of thing can and has lead to bloody purges: English history has just awesome stories of repeated Catholic/Protestant purges as a new King/Queen took over. The other major reason blasphemy laws are absurd is that there's no reason Nintendo shouldn't claim a disrespect of Pokemon is blasphemy or claims of immaculate conception are a blasphemy of atheism. Ie, it is more a political tool than anything else.

It's why the argument that Ruslan Sokolovsky was "uppity" or "had it coming" are absurd. The law is wrong. That he got a 3.5 year sentence that was promptly suspended just proves the point. That it is so rarely enforced proves the point. The law is a club to punish dissent. Dissent is an inherent part of human nature, though. People rarely agree on anything and using the law to punish people for it is merely a means of arbitrary abuse of individuals.

So, no matter the size of the injustice, be it the oppression of a whole group of people or merely dissenting views, this should not be tolerated.

 

[bi388]

Okay I was talking about any group that went through war.

How is war relevant? No one is talking about war, just protest.

 

[Hayleia]

Many people in the US still think that MLK was wrong. Rampant racism is widespread here.

MLK was fighting against racist people at a time when black americans were still being lynched for looking at a white girl wrong.

Eh, true story, sadly. Well it's kind of the same already with religion. A lot of people don't believe (as seen in this thread) but then stuff still happens (as seen in this thread...).

 

[Onepunchbruh]

Cool! I mean like you have to respect others belief. If he didn't knew what church means for Christians. Then I can say it was wrong sending him jail.

 

[chrisrlink]

don't forget this is a place that jails/executes homosexuals kills political opponents meddle in other countries elections AND HAS A NUKE STOCKPILE and an evil wackjob/ex KGB agent as a "president"

 

[GhostLatte]

While I am an atheist myself, I do think that there have been good things to come out of religion. Instead of blatantly attacking religion, we should discuss whether the action of him being arrested was justified or not. Some people on this forum need to mature and learn to respect others who are different than them

 

[BetaXenon]

I am Russian. I know what he told in the video and I know a little extra about this situation. In the video he is, basically, said that he KNOWS that this is legally become a crime but gone to the church with exact purpose to "break the rules" since he thinks that this rule is stupid. Well, he is anarchist, I didn't seen much of his videos, but in every one I seen (about 8-9) there is some of anarchistic, hmm, propaganda. How people "can do whatever they wan't", how all "you guys" should "f the system", how "if somebody do it, then it's justice that we all can do it", stuff like this. I'm assured that this is anarchist who are not so successfully trying to mask himself as democrat.

In this video he is also use filthy language in the parody of church recitative. So, is it offend somebody? Of course it is. The fact that this is Christians now is not really matter.

So, fact of violation of law is not only confirmed, it's can't be more oblivious.

Also note that this 3,5 years sentence is conditional term, he not jailed for 3,5 years, this 3,5 years going to be added to his sentence IF he breach law again seriously enough. So he is get off lightly.

 

[Yil]

don't forget this is a place that jails/executes homosexuals kills political opponents meddle in other countries elections AND HAS A NUKE STOCKPILE and an evil wackjob/ex KGB agent as a "president"

And in 20 years they will collipse and China can reclaim Alaska. Then China and America will share boarders. Their tech is at best Cold war era and lot's of UV's factories shut down. And in a sense they cannot afford having low population and repopulation rate.

 

[Yil]

We need to take out people behind the scene before dealing with idiots.

 

[kuwanger]

I am Russian. I know what he told in the video and I know a little extra about this situation. In the video he is, basically, said that he KNOWS that this is legally become a crime but gone to the church with exact purpose to "break the rules" since he thinks that this rule is stupid. Well, he is anarchist, I didn't seen much of his videos, but in every one I seen (about 8-9) there is some of anarchistic, hmm, propaganda. How people "can do whatever they wan't", how all "you guys" should "f the system", how "if somebody do it, then it's justice that we all can do it", stuff like this. I'm assured that this is anarchist who are not so successfully trying to mask himself as democrat.

In this video he is also use filthy language in the parody of church recitative. So, is it offend somebody? Of course it is. The fact that this is Christians now is not really matter.

So, fact of violation of law is not only confirmed, it's can't be more oblivious.

Also note that this 3,5 years sentence is conditional term, he not jailed for 3,5 years, this 3,5 years going to be added to his sentence IF he breach law again seriously enough. So he is get off lightly.

Yea. An "anarchist". Playing "Pokemon Go". Got off "lightly". If all it takes is for a person to use filthy language or be disrespectful to things you respect to think they deserve any sort of punishment, then God knows most of humanity should be in jail for life. Get back to me when you have people doing actual violent acts upon others. Like Putin.

 

[BetaXenon]

I don't really understand how Christianity survived SU's purge.

Stalin restored it. Unexpected, yeah?

 

[bi388]

-snip-

Cool! I mean like you have to respect others belief. If he didn't knew what church means for Christians. Then I can say it was wrong sending him jail.

You think jail is a proper sentence for not respecting someone? Not causing any harm, not harassing, just disrespect?

 

[BetaXenon]

Yea. An "anarchist". Playing "Pokemon Go". Got off "lightly". If all it takes is for a person to use filthy language or be disrespectful to things you respect to think they deserve any sort of punishment, then God knows most of humanity should be in jail for life. Get back to me when you have people doing actual violent acts upon others. Like Putin.

He arrested not for playing Pokemon... And not for only one single "misstep" either...

 

[Onepunchbruh]

You think jail is a proper sentence for not respecting someone? Not causing any harm, not harassing, just disrespect?

Try going out & disrespecting police on street & they'll show you love in jail. It's kind of illegal.

 

[bi388]

Try going out & disrespecting police on street & they'll show you love in jail. It's kind of illegal.

No, its not. Theres a famous song called Fuck the Police. I know many videos making fun of them or other songs making fun of them. Thats disrespecting and its 100% legal. Theres laws against harming the police or putting them or others in danger, but not for disrespect.

 

[Onepunchbruh]

No, its not. Theres a famous song called Fuck the Police. I know many videos making fun of them or other songs making fun of them. Thats disrespecting and its 100% legal.

Try saying f-ck the police in front of police & you'll know.

 

[bi388]

Try saying f-ck the police in front of police & you'll know.

Thats not illegal and any police officer that tries to arrest you for it will get nowhere.

 

[kuwanger]

He arrested not for playing Pokemon... And not for only one single "misstep" either...

"Misstep" indeed. Did he burn down a church? Punch someone? Steal something? Nope? Just some moron say not nice things in filthy words about people? Yea, put that bastard in jail! Right after Putin is put on trial for all his murders. Oh, right, he didn't do it "obviously" so it's okay.

 

[Onepunchbruh]

Thats not illegal and any police officer that tries to arrest you for it will get nowhere.

But they'll have fun with you till you get out.