A Russian publicist in Yekaterinburg faces administrative charges because he called a local city councilman a ‘condom’ on Facebook

Prosecutors in Yekaterinburg have opened a criminal case against publicist Platon Mamatov, in response to a police report filed by City Councilman Evgeny Borovik over an argument in late June that took place on Facebook. Mamatov is charged with violating Article 5.61 of Russia’s Administrative Code — the misdemeanor offense of “insulting someone in a public speech or speech shown in the mass media.”

In a heated exchange of Facebook comments, Borovik implied that he would beat up Mamatov, who responded, “You’re such a boring, predictable scumbag.” (Literally, Mamatov called him a “condom” — a colorful invective in Russian slang.)

Who cares about two loudmouths bickering on social media?

• Evgeny Borovik isn’t just any loudmouth. Having changed his party affiliation at least eight times, he entered Yekaterinburg’s City Council in 2013. In February 2018, he offered a cash reward to the person who could sling the most mud at presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak. A month later, Borovik fled to Paris, after his Sobchak-defamation contest triggered a hate-speech criminal investigation. In April, the case against him was closed, and Borovik returned to Yekaterinburg.
• In June, Borovik and another city councilman were accused of failing to report their income for the previous year.