Russia’s first known prosecution for viewing ‘extremist’ material online gets underway in Sverdlovsk region

A resident of Russia’s Sverdlovsk region is being prosecuted for accessing “known extremist material” online, his lawyer told Yekaterinburg-based independent media outlet It’s My City on Thursday.

Sergey Barsukov said his client, who he did not name, had viewed information online about Ukraine’s Azov Brigade, a formation of the National Guard of Ukraine that was once infamous for its ultranationalist roots, and the Russian Volunteer Corps, which fights alongside the Armed Forces of Ukraine against the Russia military. Both have been deemed “terrorist” organisations by the Russian government.

Though he conceded that his client had read the material, Barsukov stressed that he had “found it inappropriate”, adding that his client’s internet service provider had informed Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) that he had viewed “banned” material, though he declined to name the company. 

Accusing the FSB of exerting psychological pressure on the accused, Barsukov described the prosecution’s case as flimsy, and said that it consisted of just two “images” and his client’s police interrogation, which he said demonstrated “neither direct nor indirect intention” by his client to commit a crime.

The court returned the case to the police to “correct inaccuracies”, according to Barsukov, who said he hoped the case against his client would be dismissed due to the improper collecting of evidence.

The case is Russia’s first known prosecution of an individual for knowingly searching for “extremist” material online, and follows legislation being signed into law in July mandating penalties for such searches. 

Unusually, the law was criticised by the Safe Internet League, the organisation that unofficially directs Russia’s censorship apparatus, as well as by several deputies from Russia’s so-called systemic opposition, who, in a rare move, all voted against the bill in the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament.