Court statistics included in extremist growth
Russia has four times increased the number of convicted repost, incitement to hatred and incitement to violence.
The number of prisoners in Russia “extremist” articles of the Criminal code increased by four times since 2011. Among the charges — incitement to violence, incitement and hatred, the organization of an extremist community. Experts see no objective reasons for the increase. The interior Ministry acknowledged the existence of erroneous judicial decisions on the “extremist” articles, but States that liability extends basically “the ones who really harm and stir up the situation in the country.”
According to the judicial Department of the Supreme court of the Russian Federation for the year 2017 in Russia, a growing number of convicted for “extremist” articles, focused in Chapter 29 of the criminal code. This, in particular, article 280 (public appeals to violent change of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation), article 280.1 (public calls for action aimed at violating the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation), 282 (incitement of hatred, enmity, and humiliation of human dignity), article 282.1 (organization of an extremist community) and article 282.2 (organizing the activities of an organization banned for extremism), article 282.3 (financing of extremist activity).
These articles in 2017 was convicted 604 human, four times more than in 2011. Most — 460 people — were convicted under article 282.
“In fact, more convicted. There are still those who have these articles are subject to an additional charge, but to count all difficult,” — said “y” Director of the informational-analytical center “Sova” Alexander Verkhovsky. He explained that it is necessary to consider also convicted under part 1 of article 148 (public disrespect for society in order to insult the feelings of believers), article 205.2 (public incitement to terrorism, justification or propaganda of terrorism) and article 354.1 (rehabilitation of Nazism). According to the judicial Department of the armed forces in 2017, it another 39 prisoners.
“We see stable growth in recent years — employees 50 and 60 a year is added,” says Mr. Verkhovsky. According to him, the increase in the number of convicts shows one thing: “the system is working on a quantitative indicator.” “It is not clear what is happening, what should be so many sentences,” adds Mr. Verkhovsky. He notes that the accused are usually local activists, they are attracted by the statements — “unpleasant, but not dangerous.”