Russian lawmakers want to jail Internet users who ‘blatantly disrespect the state’

Three federal lawmakers have drafted legislation that would tweak Russia’s misdemeanor statutes against disorderly conduct to ban the online publication of materials that “blatantly disrespect Russian society, the state, official state symbols, the Russian Constitution, and law enforcement agencies.”

Perpetrators convicted under this new law would face fines as high as 5,000 rubles ($75) or up to 15 days in jail. The legislation’s sponsors say the punishment would apply when Internet users publish such “disrespect” without committing any criminal offense.