JRL NEWSWATCH: “Want to Insult Putin? It Will Cost You $462; Russia’s new lèse majesté law helps turn the president into a laughingstock” – Bloomberg/ Leonid Bershidsky

October 3, 2019 JRL Russia List Human Rights, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections

File Image of Laptop Computer, Tables and Mobile Device, adapted from image at energy.gov

“Six months ago, Russia adopted a law making it an administrative offense to insult the government on the internet. … and in a majority of the cases where a court imposed a fine[] Russians have been punished for insulting … Putin. Instead of sheltering Putin and other top officials from harsh and vulgar criticism, however, the use of the Russian lèse majesté law – the first one adopted since the Soviet Union fell apart – has resulted in a bizarre price list of insults. On average, it costs 30,000 rubles ($462) to revile the president. …”