Russias Supreme Court Clarifies Legal Boundaries on Political Criticism and Hate Speech

On Tuesday, Russia’s Supreme Court determined that critiquing politicians, public figures, and organizations does not constitute a criminal act under the nation’s anti-extremism legislations.

According to these laws, individuals found guilty of “inciting hatred, animosity, or violating human dignity” towards ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups may be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison.

For a long time, Russian activists and some legislators have voiced concerns about these laws, claiming that everyday social media users could be targeted for merely sharing insensitive posts, including memes.

During a plenary session, the Supreme Court specified that statements should only be classified as extremist if they promote genocide, widespread repression, deportation, or other unlawful actions against individuals belonging to a specific ethnicity, race, religion, or social group.

In the ruling, reported by Interfax, it was stated that “criticizing political organizations, ideological or religious groups, as well as political or public figures in relation to their official roles… should not be seen as actions aimed at inciting hatred or animosity.”

Additionally, the court remarked that criticism directed at political, ideological, or religious viewpoints, as well as customs tied to ethnicity or religion, does not fulfill the legal criteria for hate speech.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court indicated that displaying Nazi symbols is not subject to penalties if it is aimed at combating extremism rather than promoting belief in their appeal.

The SOVA Center, a Moscow-based NGO that tracks racism and nationalism in Russia, has reported a “consistent increase” in what it characterizes as unjust extremism convictions for public expressions in recent years.