First Conviction in Russia for Online Search of Extremist Material: A Landmark Case

A court in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region has imposed a fine of just under $40 on the country’s first individual convicted of searching for extremist materials online, according to the independent news outlet Mediazona.

Sergei Glukhikh, 20, was apprehended in September under a new law that took effect earlier that month, which has raised alarms about increased surveillance and the possibility of misuse by law enforcement agencies.

The law, signed by President Vladimir Putin over the summer, establishes penalties of up to 5,000 rubles (approximately $65) for “knowingly” seeking extremist content online, including via VPNs.

An officer involved in Glukhikh’s case informed the judge that an FSB agent observed him searching for extremist material while they were on the same bus, as reported by the Russian news platform Daily Storm.

Initially, Glukhikh faced charges for researching Ukraine’s Azov Brigade and the Russian Volunteer Corps, but the judge sent the case back for clarification due to inconsistencies regarding Russia’s various databases of extremist content.

Ultimately, he was tried solely for searching about the Azov Brigade.

On Wednesday, the Krasnogorsky District Court in Kamensk-Uralsky found Glukhikh guilty and sentenced him to a fine of 3,000 rubles (around $38).

Glukhikh, who did not appear for his sentencing, has maintained his innocence and claimed that the authorities are engaging in intimidation tactics.

The Azov Brigade was established in 2014 as a far-right volunteer paramilitary group fighting against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, but was later restructured and integrated into Ukraine’s national guard.

In 2022, Russia’s Supreme Court labeled it a “terrorist” organization, leading to prolonged prison sentences for the unit’s captured members in Russia.

Moscow has cited Azov’s extremist right-wing associations as justification for its so-called “denazification” initiative in Ukraine.