Authorities in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region have initiated the first known prosecution under a newly implemented law that penalizes online searches for extremist content, according to local news reports.
Sergei Glukhikh, a 20-year-old from Kamensk-Uralsky, is facing charges under Article 13.53 of Russia’s Administrative Code, which became effective on September 1. His attorney, Sergei Barsukov, shared this information with the Eurasia News Agency (EAN).
Local news outlet It’s My City reported that Glukhikh was flagged to the Federal Security Service (FSB) by his internet service provider after he purportedly accessed prohibited material online.
Barsukov contended that his client inadvertently encountered information about Ukraine’s Azov Brigade and the Russian Volunteer Corps while using the internet on public transport, and that he had not searched for this content on purpose.
The Azov Brigade was established in 2014 as a far-right volunteer paramilitary group that fought against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, but it was later restructured and incorporated into Ukraine’s national guard. Moscow has cited Azov’s historical links to extremist right-wing groups as justification for its “denazification” efforts in Ukraine.
In contrast, the Russian Volunteer Corps is a far-right paramilitary group composed of Russian nationals fighting alongside Ukraine, which emerged following Moscow’s large-scale invasion in 2022.
Both entities are designated as “terrorist” organizations in Russia.
Glukhikh, who studies at a branch of the Sverdlovsk Regional Medical College, had previously participated in patriotic activities organized by his school, according to Barsukov.
Reports indicate that the prosecution is based on two images and the record of an interrogation. The defense argues that FSB officers exerted pressure on Glukhikh during the questioning process.
On Thursday, a local court returned the case to law enforcement to rectify procedural mistakes after FSB and Interior Ministry officials, who were summonsed to testify, failed to show up.
The law, which was signed by President Vladimir Putin in July, imposes fines for searching or accessing extremist content online, including through VPNs. Individuals could face fines ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles (approximately $30 to $55), while those promoting VPN services risk fines of up to 500,000 rubles.
The legislation does not clarify how such activities will be monitored, leading to concerns among legal experts regarding increased surveillance and possible misuse by law enforcement authorities.
Amnesty International has also criticized the legislation as “vague and overly broad,” raising alarms that it allows for arbitrary enforcement.
