NDM 22

Russian man sent to penal colony for insulting officials online

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/27/russian-man-sent-to-penal-colony-for-insulting-officials-online

- The Guardian

"Vladimir Timoshenko given two-year sentence for using social media to call for uprising against ‘unpopular regime’"
This short Article talks about how Timoshenko was sentenced to two years for insulting high-ranking Russian officials on social media.

•  In December 2016, an internet user was sentenced to two years in a penal colony for publishing an online article criticising Russia’s bombing campaign in Syria.
• In May 2016, a Russian engineer was given two years and three months in a detention camp for sharing pro-Ukrainian articles on social media.

This is just another example of how powerful people in the society try to control the less powerful. They restrict their freedom of opinion, in this case by considering it a form of crime in which they can receive a prison sentence. This will promote the idea that those who speak against those in charge will receive punishment which then gets people to conform to the set rules and not challenge the people with the upper hand.