First Conviction in Russia for Online Search of Extremist Content

A court in the Sverdlovsk region of Russia has imposed a fine of less than $40 on the country’s first individual convicted of seeking extremist content online, as reported by the independent news outlet Mediazona on Wednesday.

Sergei Glukhikh, a 20-year-old, was detained in September under a new law that took effect earlier that month, raising concerns about increased surveillance and the potential for law enforcement misuse.

Enacted by President Vladimir Putin in the summer, the legislation establishes fines of up to 5,000 rubles (approximately $65) for individuals who «knowingly» search for extremist materials online, including through VPN services.

According to the Russian news source Daily Storm, a police officer involved in the case stated that an FSB agent observed Glukhikh looking up extremist content while they were seated next to each other on a bus.

Initially, Glukhikh faced allegations of researching the Azov Brigade and the Russian Volunteer Corps, but the judge returned the case for clarification due to inconsistencies in Russia’s various databases of extremist content.

Ultimately, Glukhikh was only prosecuted for searching for information on the Azov Brigade.

The Krasnogorsky District Court in Kamensk-Uralsky found him guilty on Wednesday, imposing a fine of 3,000 rubles (around $38).

Glukhikh, who was absent from his sentencing, has maintained his innocence and alleged that the authorities are attempting to intimidate him.

The Azov Brigade is a far-right volunteer paramilitary group that was established in 2014 to combat pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, later being restructured and integrated into Ukraine’s National Guard.

In 2022, Russia’s Supreme Court designated it as a «terrorist» organization, which allows for lengthy prison sentences for captured members in Russia.

Moscow has leveraged the Azov Brigade’s historical extremist far-right associations to rationalize its so-called «denazification» efforts in Ukraine.