Blogger arrested for 2 months for catching Pokemon in the temple

Yekaterinburg blogger Ruslan Sokolovsky on September 2 of this year was detained by police on suspicion of committing crimes under Article 148 “Violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion”, which is better known as “Insulting the feelings of believers” and Article 282 “Incitement of hatred or enmity, and equally humiliation human dignity ”(extremism) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

The initiator of the persecution was the Ural agency URA.Ru. His representatives appealed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs with a request to check out the video posted by the blogger , in which he catches Pokemon in the Temple-on-the-Blood in Yekaterinburg.

During the recording of the video, Sokolovsky wondered who could be insulted by a person who would simply walk around with a smartphone in his hands. At the same time, he referred to the plot of the TV channel "Russia 24", which warned about criminal liability for insulting the feelings of believers.

Before the trial, the blogger appeared the very next day after his arrest - in the morning of September 3, where the measure of restraint was chosen. Originally declared public, the meeting turned out to be closed and fans of Sokolovsky and journalists were not allowed into the courtroom.

It is worth noting the application to the blogger of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This “extremist” article has a very vague wording and under it can be brought a lot of actions, up to the humiliation of another social group on any grounds, not to mention religion and national minorities.

Valery Gorelykh, the head of the press service of the Interior Ministry’s department for the Sverdlovsk region, commented on the process:
“Not for three years, as it is indicated in the legislation, one should send such pokemonists to the prison barn, but at least five or even more so that others would blaspheme in holy places. "

According to the information resource kanobu.ru, who led a direct text translation of the morning session (more precisely, broadcasting from under the doors of the courtroom), Sokolovsky’s lawyer called the process revealing and commented on what is happening as follows: “Consider that the Inquisition is open.”

In turn, the mayor of Yekaterinburg sharply condemned the actions of the security forces: