Lawyer Andrey Grivtsov has predicted that the number of criminal cases linked to internet harassment in Russia will grow significantly in coming years.
Speaking to Russian news publication Lenta.ru, Grivtsov explained that the expected rise stems from the deeper integration of digital technology into daily life, which has driven a corresponding increase in online criminality.
According to Grivtsov, while online bullying does not always constitute a criminal offense under Russian law, severe cases frequently escalate into distinct statutory violations. When internet harassment meets the threshold for criminal prosecution, investigators typically divide the conduct into specific charges such as slander, issuing threats, and unlawful interference in private life.
Under the Russian Criminal Code, slander involves the deliberate dissemination of false information damaging an individual's honor or reputation, while illegal threats and privacy violations carry separate penal sanctions.
Severe criminal sentences for online abuse
The legal consequences of online harassment were demonstrated by a recent court decision involving Mikhail Shalimov, a 21 year old resident of Novgorod Oblast, an administrative region located in northwestern Russia between Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Shalimov was sentenced to 12 years in a strict-regime penal colony following the relentless cyberbullying of a teenager living in Ufa, the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan in western Russia near the Ural Mountains. Strict-regime penal colonies are high-security correctional facilities in the Russian prison system designated for individuals convicted of grave crimes, featuring strict physical security and restricted movement.
The court found Shalimov guilty of multiple criminal offenses, including driving a minor to suicide, making false reports about acts of terrorism, committing depraved acts, and distributing pornographic materials involving minors.
Darknet services and judicial hurdles
Despite the severe prison sentence handed down in Shalimov's case, cyberstalking and internet harassment cases currently face significant hurdles in reaching trial across Russia.
Grivtsov noted that while online abuse is becoming more widespread, many incidents fail to result in formal court trials due to evidentiary and investigative difficulties.
Lenta.ru reported in a separate analysis that internet harassment has increasingly evolved into a paid commercial service offered on darknet forums. These encrypted online networks, which operate beyond standard web browsers and require specialized routing software to access, allow individuals to order targeted abuse campaigns anonymously, creating formidable obstacles for law enforcement agencies attempting to identify suspects and assemble evidence for court proceedings.
