Image by Marco Guzman, Jr
A Russian, self-described, radical feminist, after being investigated since mid-August by the Russian Investigative Committee, has been charged under the Russian anti-extremism legislation for inciting hatred towards men.
Lyubov Kalugina, who describes herself as a “radical feminist of a separatist breed,” told the SOVA Center anti-extremist group that investigators had summoned and warned her that she risked facing an extremism charge for 12 posts she had made in 2013-2016. “I was aware that there was a certain risk, but I didn’t think such stupidity would be included in the [investigation’s] materials. I didn’t think that you couldn’t even joke,” reported The Moscow Times. “It’s completely absurd to equate the silliest of jokes to calls after which people go and kill others,” she wrote.
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“Criminal charges have been brought against Kalugina under Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code,” the Omsk branch of the Investigative Committee told the local news website Gorod55.ru on Wednesday. Kalugina faces up to 5 years behind bars under Article 282, which bans the “incitement of national, racial or religious enmity,” wrote The Moscow Times.
Russian independent media has promoted the contrast recently between citizens being sent to prison for hate speech while entitled government workers get away with real crimes.
