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

 

[The Catboy]

It's like Russia is just trying to prove to the world just how shitty a place it is.

 

[Kioku]

Uhhhhhhh.. Jail time for playing a game in church? K

 

[8BitWonder]

Was the verdict fair in finding Sokolovsky guilty who on top of clearly the country's anti-blasphemy law, additionally breached the terms of his house arrest?

I mean yeah, the law was there saying you couldn't. But that doesn't make it more fair and not as ridiculous of a law.

 

[Taffy]

uhhhhh...

Okay so this is...unusual.

society, why are you going downhill like this????

 

[sarkwalvein]

I don't know.
I am not a believer, I just don't believe in Russia.
As long as Putin is in the head I can only see it as a more resourceful version of North Korea and the Hezbollah-aiding Argentine-Jewish-Community-Bombing Iran combined. Salutes to the good people of Russia, Iran and North Korea! /s

<and the next day sarkwalvein was found mysteriously dead of natural causes after drinking some polonium-210 sweetened cup of coffee>

 

[_v3]

-snip-

Even though I'm not a believer myself I don't think it's fair to mock someone's beliefs.

But yea, if there's a law in place that says you should NOT be doing something, then you should NOT do it, no matter how stupid it is.

 

[Deleted User]

This religion crap is getting out of everyone's hand.
I mean, why go to church in first place? It's nothing than random 'sacred' relics [Aka plastic figurines and other stuff] but I'm a atheist so i shouldn't comment.
And thanks god that Government isn't abusing too much power here, this is what happens when you treat your presidents as lord of the whole world.
/end of debate

 

[Madridi]

I don't get it.. Sure, the law may or not be dumb. That's a separate discussion.

BUT:

I mean, what does he expect? Regardless of his feelings towards the law, but if he think he's "all that" by publicly breaking the law and bragging about it by posting videos and such, then what does he really expect?

Even after all that, it's a SUSPENDED sentence (Really, @Prans, you should probably highlight that.)

I would say he gets what he deserves for breaking the law. The fact that he doesn't agree with the law doesn't give him the right to break it.

 

[Flame]

In Soviet Russia team Rocket wins and sends you to prison.

 

[dragonmaster]

quote :In Soviet Russia team Rocket wins and sends you to prison.

you may need to do a little history research there is no soviet russia, the other point to pinpoint is that the other pole usa is acting like a spoiled brat,well both of them do. There is a word for everything propaganda of both sites and we are caught in the middle...

 

[retrofan_k]

Typical religious crap again, causing more harm than good and if it wasn't Russia, it be somewhere else in the world and they always need a fall guy to blame. Ridiculous

 

[wolfmankurd]

Uhhhhhhh.. Jail time for playing a game in church? K

> a 3.5-year suspended sentence.

At least he didn't go to prison, how long was in jail? Looks like he was out on bail since he breached the bail agreement.

 

[Flame]

quote :In Soviet Russia team Rocket wins and sends you to prison.

you may need to do a little history research there is no soviet russia, the other point to pinpoint is that the other pole usa is acting like a spoiled brat,well both of them do. There is a word for everything propaganda of both sites and we are caught in the middle...

1st learn to quote like me.

2nd you are from greece where you would get hanged for doing such thing it wasnt for you being part of E.U. knowing how strong the church is in greece.


3rd: no shit they is not Soviet Russia do you even internet?

 

[Hayleia]

quote :In Soviet Russia team Rocket wins and sends you to prison.

you may need to do a little history research there is no soviet russia, the other point to pinpoint is that the other pole usa is acting like a spoiled brat,well both of them do. There is a word for everything propaganda of both sites and we are caught in the middle...

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/in-soviet-russia

 

[wolfmankurd]

Even after all that, it's a SUSPENDED sentence (Really, @Prans, you should probably highlight that.)

I would say he gets what he deserves for breaking the law. The fact that he doesn't agree with the law doesn't give him the right to break it.

Agreed misleading title. Some people and I think they are probably privileged/entitled feeling, think they can break laws they don't agree with. You can't. You need to fight the law in a legal way. Being a "vlogger" he likely never expected the law would turn against him. If he were a black american he'd know better.

 

[Kioku]

> a 3.5-year suspended sentence.

At least he didn't go to prison, how long was in jail? Looks like he was out on bail since he breached the bail agreement.

Okay, technical details aside. The only thing that should have mattered was him breaking house arrest. Him playing a game in church shouldn't have been so much of a problem.


"Inciting hatred".. Yeah, okay.

 

[smile72]

I'm honestly not shocked by this. Russia is increasingly getting worse and Putin is using the church as a way to secure power. Russia is incredibly scary.

 

[eduall]

It's like Russia is just trying to prove to the world just how shitty a place it is.

u're right!

 

[sarkwalvein]

u're right!

You certainly know about those things being from Vergüenzuela and all. /s