Sanctions against Internet providers. Part 3

Recently, there has been an increase in demands on telecom operators to block websites containing "extremist materials." However, prosecutors everywhere and regularly oblige operators links restrict access to sites due to one or more materials found there, recognized as extremist (and often not recognized as such by the court, but only suspected by the prosecutor's office of "sedition"). Sometimes these requirements also apply to sites of religious organizations and groups. Our position on the problem of site blocking is detailed here .

Now the prosecution authorities, as a rule, require blocking without going to court, and these actions are motivated by the Ruling issued on May 10, 2011 by the Judicial Collegium for Civil Cases of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. We believe that such actions are often illegal. See here for more details .

This document summarizes news about site blocking where we have reason to believe that law enforcement agencies have exceeded their authority, such as requesting blocking access to a site that does not contain materials included in the Federal List, or where such materials are an atypical exception (for example, in a network library).

Those cases where we do not have such grounds are displayed in a similar document in the section "Racism and Xenophobia". And some news are displayed in both documents, since, for example, decisions on different sites may be legal to varying degrees.

In connection with the multiplication of this kind of news, from July 1, 2012 we combine them into one list. The first part of the list covers the period from July 2012 to November 2014, the second - from January 2015 to November 2016. The continuation of this list is in front of you.

On September 6, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor's office of the Grozny district filed a lawsuit with the court to oblige providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On September 5, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that, based on the materials of the republican FSB of Russia, it sent two statements of claim to the Leninsky District Court of Grozny on the obligation of providers to restrict access to materials "offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On September 1, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor's office of the Zavodskoy district of Grozny filed two lawsuits with the court to oblige providers to restrict access to materials that promote suicide, as well as "aimed at insulting the religious feelings of Muslims . " It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On August 31, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the Leninsky District Court of Grozny had satisfied five claims filed by the Grozny District Prosecutor to oblige providers to restrict access to materials "offending the religious feelings of believers and aimed at inciting religious hatred ". The materials are recognized as prohibited for distribution in Russia. It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On August 31, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the Achkhoy-Martan inter-district prosecutor filed a lawsuit with the court for the obligation of providers to restrict access to the page with materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On August 30, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor's office of Argun filed a lawsuit with the court to oblige providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On August 18, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor's office of the Zavodskoy district of Grozny filed two lawsuits with the court to oblige providers to restrict access to materials that promote suicide, as well as "aimed at insulting the religious feelings of Muslims . " It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On August 15, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic announced that acting The prosecutor of the Gudermes district sent a statement of claim to the court on the obligation of providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On August 14, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the Achkhoi-Martan inter-district prosecutor filed a lawsuit with the court for the obligation of providers to restrict access to the page with materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On August 3, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic announced that acting The prosecutor of the Urus-Martan district sent a statement of claim to the court on the obligation of providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On July 31, 2017, the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic reported that the Prosecutor's Office of the Grozny District filed a lawsuit with the court to oblige providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ". It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On July 19, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor's office of Argun filed a lawsuit with the court to oblige providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ". It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On July 14, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that, based on materials from the republican FSB of Russia, it had filed a lawsuit with the Leninsky District Court of Grozny on the obligation of providers to restrict access to materials "offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On June 30, July 4 and 5, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor's office of Argun filed lawsuits with the court about the obligation of providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On June 27 and 28, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor of the Staropromyslovsky district of Grozny filed a lawsuit with the Leninsky district court to oblige providers to restrict access to materials "offending the religious feelings of believers . " It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On June 19, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor's office of Argun filed a lawsuit with the court to oblige providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On June 19, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor's office of the Zavodskoy district of Grozny filed four lawsuits with the court to oblige providers to restrict access to Internet resources. Some of them contained materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ". It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On June 14, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the deputy of the Shatoi interdistrict prosecutor filed a lawsuit to oblige providers to restrict access to a page on the Internet with materials "offending the religious feelings of believers . " It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On June 7, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic announced that it had sent 12 statements of claim to the Leninsky District Court of Grozny on the obligation of providers to restrict access to Internet sites with materials "offending the religious feelings of believers . " It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On May 31, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor's office of the Shali district filed a lawsuit with the Leninsky district court of Grozny to oblige providers to restrict access to drawings and cartoons "in support of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo", "aimed at insulting the religious feelings of believers " . In our opinion, restricting access to "Charlie Hebdo" cartoons and similar drawings is in conflict with freedom of speech.
On May 25, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the Argun prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit to oblige providers to restrict access to materials on the Internet that " offend the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On May 23, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic announced that it had filed four lawsuits with the Leninsky District Court of Grozny to oblige providers to restrict access to materials on the Internet that " offend the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On May 10, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic announced that it had sent 12 statements of claim to the Leninsky District Court of Grozny on the obligation of providers to restrict access to materials on the Internet that " offend the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On May 2, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the deputy of the Shatoi inter-district prosecutor filed a lawsuit to oblige providers to restrict access to a page with materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On April 19, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor of the Naursky district filed a lawsuit to oblige providers to restrict access to pages with materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On April 18, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that in the first quarter of 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Vedensky district filed 12 lawsuits with the court to oblige providers to restrict access to pages with materials "offending the religious feelings of believers . " It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On April 18, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor's office of Argun filed a lawsuit with the court for the obligation of providers to restrict access to the page with materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ". It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On March 31, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic announced that it had sent 16 statements of claim to the Leninsky District Court of Grozny on the obligation of providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On March 31, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that i. O. The Achkhoy-Martan inter-district prosecutor filed a lawsuit to oblige providers to restrict access to a page on the Internet with materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On March 30, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor of the Shelkovsky district filed a lawsuit to oblige providers to restrict access to a page on the Internet with materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On March 29, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that, at the suit of the prosecutor's office of the Shali district, the Leninsky district court of Grozny ordered providers to block the page on the VKontakte social network with materials "aimed at offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On March 23, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that, at the suit of the prosecutor's office of the Shali district, the Leninsky district court of Grozny ordered providers to block the page on the VKontakte social network with materials "aimed at insulting the religious feelings of citizens . " It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On March 17, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic announced that it had sent 8 statements of claim to the Leninsky District Court of Grozny on the obligation of Internet providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On March 14, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the deputy of the Shatoi inter-district prosecutor filed a lawsuit with the court to oblige Internet providers to restrict access to a page with materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On March 13, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor's office of Argun filed a lawsuit in court to oblige Internet providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On February 17, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic announced that it had sent 20 statements of claim to the Leninsky District Court of Grozny on the obligation of Internet providers to restrict access to materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On January 30, 2017, the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic reported that the Deputy Prosecutor of the Grozny District filed two lawsuits to oblige Internet providers to restrict access to two pages with videos "offending the religious feelings of believers . " It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On January 27, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the prosecutor of the Staropromyslovsky district of Grozny filed a lawsuit with the Leninsky district court of Grozny to oblige Internet providers to restrict access to materials "offending the religious feelings of believers " . It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On January 27, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that the Achkhoi-Martan inter-district prosecutor filed a lawsuit to oblige Internet providers to restrict access to a page on the Internet with materials " offending the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On January 25, 2017, the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic reported that the Deputy Prosecutor of the Gudermes District filed a lawsuit with the court for an obligation for Internet providers to restrict access to extremist materials " offending the feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On January 16, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic announced that it had sent to the Leninsky District Court of Grozny 10 ordering Internet providers to restrict access to materials " offending the feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are in question, but the report does not indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.
On January 10, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic reported that " this year " the prosecutor's office of the Zavodskoy district of Grozny sent 14 lawsuits to the courts to stop access to extremist Internet resources, which were considered and satisfied. Among them is a site with " publications of an extremist nature that negatively affect the spiritual and moral education of the youth of the republic or offend the religious feelings of believers ." It is not clear what materials are being referred to, the report does not explicitly indicate that they are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. We believe that the suppression of the dissemination of materials "offending the feelings of believers" poses a significant threat to freedom of speech, and also conflicts with Russian law: none of the Russian laws prohibit the dissemination of such materials as such, and the courts do not relevant criminal cases were considered for insulting the feelings of believers, which could lead to a ban on the distribution of materials.

Sources

The prosecutor's office ensured the restriction of access to materials of an extremist nature posted on the Internet // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. January 10.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. January 16.
The prosecutor's office demands to block access to extremist materials // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. January 25.
The Interdistrict Prosecutor's Office filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. January 27.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. January 27.
Grozny district prosecutor's office demands to block the page on the Internet // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. January 30.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. February 17, 2017
Prosecutor's office of Argun demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. March 13, 2017
The Shatoi interdistrict prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. March 14.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. March 17.
At the request of the district prosecutor's office, the VKontakte page that offended the religious feelings of citizens was blocked // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. March 23, 2017
At the request of the district prosecutor's office, the VKontakte page that offended the religious feelings of believers was blocked // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. March 29.
District Prosecutor's Office filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. March 30, 2017
The prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. March 31, 2017
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. March 31, 2017
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. April 18.
The prosecutor's office of the Vedeno district revealed sites of extremist orientation on the Internet // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. April 19.
The district prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. April 19.
The Interdistrict Prosecutor's Office filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. May 3.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. May 10.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. May 23, 2017
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. May 25, 2017
The prosecutor's office of the Shali district demands to block the link on the Internet // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. May 31, 2017
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. June 7.
The Interdistrict Prosecutor's Office filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. June 14.
The prosecutor's office of the Zavodskoy district of Grozny filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. June 19.
The prosecutor's office demands to restrict access to an Internet resource that offends the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. June 19.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. June 27.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. June 28.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. June 30.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. July 4.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. July 5.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. July 14.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. July 19.
Grozny district prosecutor's office demands to block the page on the Internet // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. July 31.
The district prosecutor's office demands to block a page on the Internet that offends the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. August 3.
The Interdistrict Prosecutor's Office filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. August 14.
The prosecutor's office demands to block access to malicious materials // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. August 15.
The prosecutor's office of the Zavodskoy district of Grozny filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. August 18.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. August 30.
The Interdistrict Prosecutor's Office filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. August 31.
The prosecutor's office ensured the restriction of access to materials of a malicious nature posted on the Internet // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. August 31.
The prosecutor's office of the Zavodskoy district of Grozny filed a lawsuit to restrict access to a malicious Internet resource // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. September 1.
The prosecutor's office demands to block pages on the Internet that offend the feelings of believers // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. September 5.
The prosecutor's office demands to block access to materials of a malicious nature // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Chechen Republic. 2017. September 6th.