In September 2016, in the Vologda Oblast, the court fined 3 thousand rubles of a local resident for the publication of 11 prohibited audio recordings in social network. In September 2016 in the Sokolsky district of the Vologda region an administrative case was initiated under Art. 20.29 Administrative Code (mass dissemination of extremist materials).

This brief overview focuses on major legislative initiatives and criminal law enforcement statistics that pertain to combating extremism in the first eight months of 2016. This report covers only the aspects of legislation and law enforcement practice that we see as leading to human rights violations and excessive restrictions of civil liberties.

The SOVA Center studies the development and application of anti-extremist legislation in Russia throughout the entire existence of the latter. Of course, many elements of such legislation are necessary in any democratic society (and are present in all democracies, see the study on laws in different OSCE countries ), but to a careful observer it is equally obvious that many other anti-extremist norms are problematic or simply unnecessary.

The Korsakov city court will consider the case of a local resident who distributed brochures in the entrance. In September 2016, it became known that the case initiated in May against a local resident accused under Part 1 of Art. 282 of the Criminal Code (inciting hatred or enmity). According to the indictment, on March 23, 2016, a resident of Korsakov distributed brochures in the entrance of a residential building, which were recognized as extremist.

In September 2016, in the Smolensk region, the court fined a local resident for posting a banned audio clip on social media. In September 2016 in the Velizh district of the Smolensk region an administrative case was initiated under Art. 20.29 Administrative Code (mass dissemination of extremist materials).

The Irkutsk court ordered Ravshan Sulaimonov to pay 1,000 rubles for publishing a lecture by Khalid Yasin on the VKontakte social network. On September 27, 2016, the prosecutor's office of the Irkutsk region reported that a Tajik citizen was prosecuted under Art. 20.29 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (mass distribution of extremist materials). By the decision of the Kirovsky District Court of Irkutsk dated September 16, 2016, Ravshan Sulaymonov was fined 1,000 rubles.

The Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug has completed the investigation of a criminal case initiated against a resident of Nizhnevartovsk, accused of involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir and disseminating xenophobic statements on the VKontakte social network. The case has been taken to court.

In September 2016 in the city of Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan the court sentenced 35-year-old Vasily Lebedev to 1 year of imprisonment on probation, who published neo-Nazi comments on the Vkontakte network. In September 2016 in the city of Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan a verdict was passed in the case of inciting ethnic hatred (part 1 of article 282 UK).

In September 2016, in Ryazan, the court fined 1.5 thousand rubles of a local resident for posting a banned video on a social network neo-Nazi organization "Format-18". In September 2016 in the Moscow region of Ryazan an administrative case was initiated under Art. 20.29 Administrative Code (mass dissemination of extremist materials).

In September 2016, in the city of Zeya, Amur Region, to the court case was transferred under Art. 280 of the Criminal Code against a local resident who published a series of xenophobic materials on the Odnoklassniki social network. In September 2016, in the city of Zeya, Amur Region, there were completed the investigation of the case of public incitement to extremism (part 2 of article 280 UK).

In September 2016, a criminal case was initiated in Ulyanovsk case under Part 1 of Art. 282 of the Criminal Code against a local resident who published xenophobic social media content. In September 2016, a criminal case was initiated in Ulyanovsk case under Part 1 of Art. 282 of the Criminal Code (inciting national hatred). The case was started against a local resident who, as reportedly published on his page in one of the social networks some xenophobic materials.

Ali Khamzin was fined 1,000 rubles for participating in a meeting of the Mejlis, whose activities were suspended by the prosecutor's office. Deputy head of the Mejlis Ilmi Umerov was fined 750 rubles. On September 27, 2016, a court in Crimea fined Ali Khamzin, a member of the Presidium of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, 1,000 rubles under Part 1 of Art.

In September 2016, in the city of Seversk, Tomsk Region, a court ruled that a local resident, who was found guilty of posting xenophobic materials on a social network, be sent for compulsory treatment. On September 28, 2016, in the city of Seversk, Tomsk Region, the court considered a criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 280 of the Criminal Code (public calls for extremism).

We publish Alexander Verkhovsky's commentary on the recent disruption of the Jock Sturges exhibition at the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography in Moscow. Story with the exhibition, in my opinion, is a new step in the activities of the public, fighting for some moral values.

We are publishing a comment by Svetlana Solodovnik on the early closing of the exhibition of American photographer Jock Sturges at the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography. Story with the closing of the Jock Sturges exhibition at the Lumiere Brothers Center, only from the point of view that the pogromists won without resorting to the help of court, examinations and other legal refinements. They came, they were indignant, they presented "offended feelings" - and the exhibition was closed.