In January 2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs registered 134 extremist crimes. This is 157.7% more than in the same period last year.
The department also notes an increase in the number of terrorist crimes. As follows from the materials of the ministry quoted by TASS, in January the Ministry of Internal Affairs registered 157 crimes of a terrorist nature (+ 12.1% compared to January 2022).
Compared to January 2019, when the Ministry of Internal Affairs recorded 35 extremist crimes, in 2023 their number has almost quadrupled. This is a record figure in recent years.
In the materials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it is specified that most of the crimes of this kind are committed on the Internet.
Art. 280 (public calls for extremist activities) and Art. 282.1 (organization of an extremist community). In 2018, Article 282 was partially decriminalized as overly repressive. It is regularly criticized by human rights activists and opposition politicians, who view this article of the Criminal Code as a tool to restrict the activities of opposition political organizations and their supporters.
