12:49, 25 May 2014

Adygea: blog editor fined with 100,000 roubles on charges of disseminating extremist article on Internet

In Adygea, the court has found Vasily Purdenko, a resident of Maikop, the editor of the blog "Free Speech of Adygea", guilty of posting on the Internet the article "Nationalism in Action", which, according to the court, is an extremist material and which is aimed at inciting national enmity and hatred. Vasily Purdenko has been sentenced to a fine of 100,000 roubles. This was reported by the website of the Investigating Department of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) on May 22.

Vasily Purdenko himself denies being the author of the material, and he claims he does not consider the article as extremist one. According to the journalist, the article "Nationalism in Action" criticizes the local authorities: their cronyism, violations of national parity, and, in general, incorrect personnel policy. It is impossible to discern in the article the signs for incitement to hatred and enmity towards Adygs, and, moreover, incitement to violence, the "Maikop City Portal" quotes Vasily Purdenko as saying.