"Retrolling": The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against a Ukrainian political scientist

On May 5, 2015, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation announced initiation of a criminal case under Part 4 of Art. 33 of the Criminal Code and paragraphs. "a", "b" part 2 of Art. 105 of the Criminal Code (inciting to kill Russian journalists) and part 1 of Art. 282 of the Criminal Code (inciting hatred to a social group of journalists) against Ukrainian political scientist Yuriy Romanenko.

The reason for the initiation of the case was the speech of Y. Romanenko at Harvard University and the publication of “How we Harvard Discussed Ukraine,” which appeared on April 5 this year on his Facebook page. According to the same Romanenko, in his speech he stated: “ The Armed Forces of Ukraine must selectively and carefully destroy Russian journalists who cover the situation in Donbass .” It was this phrase that caused a reaction from the Russian Investigative Committee. committee.

The case as a whole is legitimate.

Of course, Romanenko the next day (in the article “How Ukraine Needs to Talk to the West”) claimed that this phrase was trolling : into a conversation with a fresh stream: - I know how to solve the problem of reducing attention to Ukraine in Western media and generally withdraw the problem of using media in modern wars to the fore. APU must selectively and thoroughly destroy Russian journalists, which cover the situation in Donbass ”. However, the context of the original Facebook post, like the entire context of Romanenko's account, did not suggest that this statement was joking; judging by his own article, the American interlocutors did not understand the humor either. Therefore, references to innocent trolling do not sound very convincing.

Recall that the SOVA Center stands for the exclusion of indefinite the term "social group" from the composition of the "extremist" articles of the Criminal Code, however calls to kill members of a professional group we consider worthy criminalization per se (albeit not under Article 282 of the Criminal Code).

On the other hand, although inflammatory calls have indeed been made, there are some doubts about the advisability of initiation of a criminal case.

The institution of such cases on the fact of acts committed outside Russia by citizens of other states looks more like an imitation of activity, since there can be no real investigation and punishment here.

After the case was announced, the text by Yu. Romanenko attracted much more attention than he could have originally deserved, that is, the Investigative Committee itself contributed to the spread of the appeal, with which trying to fight. In addition, in a situation of hostilities, to initiate criminal proceedings for separate phrases, despite the fact that the average radicalism of public rhetoric grows many times over, our our the look is meaningless.

Finally, the charge of incitement to murder seems to us clearly excessive. It is not clear who the political scientist could actually incite in this situation: after all, he did not speak before representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And for indirect incitement through a public statement, the Criminal Code provides for other articles.

Sources

• A criminal case has been initiated against a citizen of Ukraine who called for the murder of Russian journalists // Official site of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. May 5, 2015