December 21, 2010

Criminal Case Opened Against Blogger Who Called Putin Faggot

Against a Russian Journalist & blogger Paul Safronov, who writes a blog in Live Journal under the nickname onchoys , a criminal case has been opened under article 319 of the Criminal Code (insulting a government official) for the post on arrival of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the Republic of Komi , in which the blogger put some obscene words.


Offices of the magazine "Red Flag", which employs Safronov, were searched. Police has seized the editorial computer and a laptop and an iPad belonging to the journalist.

The blogger stated he was not guilty. Moreover, he has already filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office for illegal criminal prosecution."There's no insult in my blogpost. I do not think the word 'faggot' is an insult, and I had no intent to offend Putin. " - said Safronov .

On September 28, 2010, in his LiveJournal blog, the blogger suggested that Putin's visit had a negative effect on the work of the LiveJournal and Twitter.