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AP: Russian prosecutors seek 3½ years for 'Pokemon Go' blogger

Tripon

Member
Russian prosecutors requested a 3? year prison sentence Friday for a blogger charged with inciting religious hatred for playing "Pokemon Go" in a church.

Prosecutors made the request as the trial of Ruslan Sokolovsky, 22, wrapped up in the city of Yekaterinburg. A judge said a verdict in the case would be issued May 11.

Sokolovsky posted a video on his blog showing him playing the smartphone game in a church built on the supposed spot where the last Russian tsar and his family were killed. He has been in detention since October.

He is charged with inciting religious hatred. It is the same offense that sent two women from the Pussy Riot punk collective to prison for two years in 2012.

"Honestly, I'm really in shock that the state prosecutors asked for 3 ? years," particularly because it wasn't a violent offense, Sokolovsky was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/russian-prosecutors-seek-years-pokemon-blogger-47078922

Edit:
A Russian YouTuber was given a three-and-a-half year suspended sentence after he published a video to YouTube showing himself playing Pokemon Go in a church.

A court in the city of Yekaterinburg found 22-year-old Ruslan Sokolovsky guilty of insulting religious believers and inciting hatred. Sokolovsky had pleaded not guilty.

The incident took place at the local Orthodox church in August 2016. Sokolovsky filmed himself and was arrested shortly after.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...d-sentence-for-playing-pokemon-go-in-a-church
 

Whide

Member
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Lister

Banned
Russia gonna Russia.

Meantime, aren't they persecuting Jehova Witnesses?

It's like that government can't tell it's ass from it's face.
 
Makes you think of what other things would get you done for "inciting religious hatred" in a church over there. Walking about with your shoelaces untied? Farting?
 
There's a church in my town that was a Pokestop, they openly welcomed Pokemon Go players to come inside while playing instead of sitting out in the cold. Even had a sign on the door encouraging people to come in.


England 1
Russia 0
 

vonStirlitz

Unconfirmed Member
[Redacted as the member no longer wishes to be associated with this website, and the reputational damage and distress caused by association with this website. In addition, the user considers that the action of the management, and the nature of the site and members of its community, renders the original terms and conditions of this site void, and it unconscionable for either side to be bound to them. The user reasserts their IP rights in all content and does not give any authority for its continued usage on this website. Despite requesting that the user's account be deleted, in accordance with data protection rules which apply to this website over multiple jurisdictions, the admin team have failed to delete this account, requiring the user to take its own steps to ensure the valid deletion of data.]
 

Lkr

Member
Wait it's offensive because the tsar was executed there? The change in religious culture since the fall of the Soviet Union is puzzling to say the least

Another poster mentioned how his local church invited people in to play Pokémon Go. There were plenty of local churches that were Pokestops doing that near where I live too. Funny how some churches are embracing Pokemon to appeal to people when 20 years ago they told our parents that Pokemon was the work of the devil
 

m00h

Banned
Well, he clearly disobeyed the law, so some kind of penalty would be ok. But it's ridiculous to demand a jail sentence.
 

Madness

Member
It is interesting to see the shift in how Russians who were often criticized or portrayed as godless communists are now shown as crazy religious fundamentalists for for their reimbrace of the orthodox church post-Soviet Union.

Eh, you can say the guy was a jerk, but draconian laws should always be criticized. I wouldn't be surprised though if we don't see greater embrace of the Russian orthodox church and a blurring of traditional separation of church and state. That guy should be thankful he didn't try this in the Chechnya region right now where strongman Kadyrov is brutally repressing and killing people left and right.
 

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
There is a difference between the state doing something and individuals doing something.

The state is allowing the possession of firearms by civilians, which is also doing something. Though it is of course tongue-in-cheek, I think most here are agreeing that russia's ruling in this case is completely unfounded. I certainly am.
 

Fisty

Member
What an awful country. He should come to USA where you only go to jail for dangerous stuff like laughing and asking questions
 

Cocaloch

Member
The state is allowing the possession of firearms by civilians, which is also doing something. Though it is of course tongue-in-cheek, I think most here are agreeing that russia's ruling in this case is completely unfounded. I certainly am.

Okay, yes America's gun laws are stupid. We deal with that all the time on GAF. This is whataboutism that's not particularly useful or insightful.
 

Lister

Banned
No and I knew someone would assume it's just because he played Pokémon at a church. It's because he has a history of going out of his way to offend those of religious faith.

Let's see who is the REAL asshole here:

1. Guy who makes fun of religious dogma and challenges oppressive religious laws.

2. Religious idiots and idiotic laws who sentence people to YEARS IN PRISON, for the above.

I know who I pick. Sorry but what he does is not at ALL assholish when laws such as these exist. Religious idiots who support these laws are the assholes.

If the country didn't have these laws, I might call him an ass-hole, though not for playing pokeman at church.
 
Religion and Russia need to chill the fuck out, he played Pokemon in a church, not murder a bunch of kids or some shit.

Makes me glad I'm not religious when I see shit like this, it's just embarrassing. Just tell him not to do it again, he doesn't deserve to go to jail, even if he offered people. The World really has gone to shit.
 
May I remind you that Russia is hosting the FIFA Confederations Cup next month and then the motherfucking World Cup a year from now! They sure as fuck know they cant keep enforcing these stupid laws right!?
 

Lkr

Member
May I remind you that Russia is hosting the FIFA Confederations Cup next month and then the motherfucking World Cup a year from now! They sure as fuck know they cant keep enforcing these stupid laws right!?
Well Qatar gets the confed cup in 4 years and the World Cup in 5 years and I don't know which will be worse. At least with Qatar you can be kinda optimistic that foreigners there just for the matches won't be treated too poorly but with Russia I feel there's gonna be some shit. I don't know what kind of hooliganism to expect after the shit that went down with Russia and England supporters at last years Euros
 

Josh7289

Member
Holy shit and this is the country running my country.

Fucked up.

It is interesting to see the shift in how Russians who were often criticized or portrayed as godless communists are now shown as crazy religious fundamentalists for for their reimbrace of the orthodox church post-Soviet Union.

Eh, you can say the guy was a jerk, but draconian laws should always be criticized. I wouldn't be surprised though if we don't see greater embrace of the Russian orthodox church and a blurring of traditional separation of church and state. That guy should be thankful he didn't try this in the Chechnya region right now where strongman Kadyrov is brutally repressing and killing people left and right.

One radical swing to another.
 
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