Russia passes law to jail people for 15 days for 'disrespecting' government

guest · Mar 7, 2019

Russia passes law to jail people for 15 days for 'disrespecting' government
March 6, 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/06/russian-parliament-outlaws-online-disrespect

The law, which critics say is reminiscent of Soviet-era legislation used to target political dissidents, stipulates fines of up to 100,000 roubles (£1,155) for “indecent” online posts that demonstrate a “blatant disrespect for society, the country, Russia’s official state symbols, the constitution, or the authorities”.

Others expressed concern that the law was so vaguely worded that almost any online criticism of the authorities, including satirical memes, could be construed as “disrespect”.
“Soon we’ll be telling jokes about the authorities in whispers in the kitchen,” Sergey Shvakin, a Moscow-based lawyer, wrote on Facebook.

Klishas denied the law was a form of censorship and said the authorities were “in and of themselves worthy of respect”.
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mirimir · Mar 9, 2019

Damn. Fond memories of whispering in the kitchen. Or bathroom, with the water running

guest · Mar 18, 2019

Vladimir Putin signs sweeping Internet-censorship bills
March 18, 2019
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...gal-to-insult-officials-or-publish-fake-news/

President Vladimir Putin has tightened his grip on the Russian Internet Monday, signing two censorship bills into law. One bans "fake news" while the other makes it illegal to insult public officials.

But the new legislation gives the Russian government more direct tools to censor online speech. Analyst Maria Snegovaya told The Washington Post that the legislation "significantly expands the repressive power of Russia’s repressive apparatus."

Under one bill, individuals can face fines and jail time if they publish material online that shows a "clear disrespect for society, the state, the official state symbols of the Russian Federation, the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and bodies exercising state power."
A second bill subjects sites publishing "unreliable socially significant information" to fines as high as 1.5 million rubles ($23,000).
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Now, however, the Russian government has "essentially unconstrained authority to determine that any speech is unacceptable. One consequence may be to make it nearly impossible for individuals or groups to call for public protest activity against any action taken by the state."
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mirimir · Mar 18, 2019

That pretty much sounds like China, to me.

And in fact, that's what it was like when I was a kid.

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Russia passes law to jail people for 15 days for 'disrespecting' government

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