A resident of Berdsk received a year and three months in a penal colony for reposting a picture

The Berdsk City Court sentenced Maksim Kormelitsky to one year in prison in a colony-settlement for a picture published on the VKontakte social network and inciting hatred on the grounds of attitude to religion (part 1 of article 282 of the Criminal Code). Three more months will be added to this period due to Kormelitsky's outstanding criminal record. This is reported by the site "Radio Liberty".

A 21-year-old resident of the city of Berdsk, Novosibirsk Region, was prosecuted after Novosibirsk residents complained about a comment that was allegedly offensive to believers to a photograph depicting people swimming in an ice hole. “I copied it from another community, besides me, about 70 people reposted it. I think it’s strange that in the end, only me alone is judged because one of the Orthodox activists saw exactly my page. I did not have any calls for violence, there was only an insult. I realized this offense, I repent of my deed and ask to impose a punishment not related to deprivation of liberty, ”Kormelitsky said at the trial.

According to the prosecutor, the defendant "is an atheist and hates people who profess Christianity." In the accusatory speech, the prosecutor demanded that Kormelitsky be sentenced to two and a half years in a colony-settlement and asked to take into account the outstanding conviction, as well as the “socially dangerous” personality of the defendant.