← What you can be punished for online: a map of offences

Russia: religion, history, 'traditional values', 'disrespect for authorities'

The guides below are drafts: a lawyer has not reviewed them yet. This is not legal advice.

УК 148

Insulting the religious feelings of believers

For what: Public posts, comments, videos and memes about religion: atheist comments, remarks against Islam, 'blasphemous' clips. Requires publicity and an 'aim to insult feelings'. Most cases concern online statements.

Penalty: Criminal. Part 1: fine up to 300,000 rubles, up to 240 hours of community work, forced labour or prison up to 1 year. Part 2 (in places of worship): fine up to 500,000 rubles or up to 3 years. Limitation period 2 years (minor offence).

Practice and how people are found

SOVA knows of 21 rulings under art. 148 for statements in 2025; most (at least 16 defendants) concerned online words. Judicial Department: 18 convicted in H1 2025, 43 in all of 2024 (SOVA Center, Apr 2026).

2025 cases per SOVA: atheist comments, statements against Islam, a quarrel with a priest, a video near a church.

Protocols and case files are mostly prepared by Center E (SOVA Center).

More: Russian Criminal Code, art. 148 (ConsultantPlus); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent)

КоАП 5.26

Desecrating religious literature, objects or symbols (part 2)

For what: Part 2: 'desecrating' religious literature, objects or symbols. In practice people are fined for posts where a symbol is 'desecrated' only in an image or words, with no physical damage. One post is often charged under several CAO articles at once.

Penalty: Administrative. Part 2: fine of 30,000 to 50,000 rubles or up to 120 hours of community work. Limitation period 90 days (heard by a judge). From 3 Nov 2026 foreigners also face expulsion (Law 294-FZ).

Practice and how people are found

SOVA saw 36 rulings under part 2 of art. 5.26 against 20 people in 2025, 34 of them in Moscow and 31 over online posts. Center E prefers 5.26 protocols to a criminal case under art. 148. SOVA considers this use unlawful (Apr 2026).

Most 2025 cases: collages with icons and memes with Jesus saved on VKontakte; three protocols over TikTok videos.

Protocols are drawn up by the police Center E.

More: Russian Code of Administrative Offences, art. 5.26 (ConsultantPlus); Law 294-FZ of 4 Aug 2026 (expulsion of foreigners, from 3 Nov 2026); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent)

УК 354.1 / КоАП 13.48

'Rehabilitation of Nazism' and equating the USSR with Nazi Germany

For what: Statements about WWII and the USSR that the authorities call 'false', comparing the USSR with Nazi Germany, 'disrespect' for military glory days, 'insulting the memory' of defenders, St George ribbon images with critical comments.

Penalty: Art. 354.1 is criminal, no administrative stage. Part 1 (denying facts of the Nuremberg judgment, 'knowingly false information' about the USSR in WWII): fine up to 3 million rubles or up to 3 years. Part 2 (including internet or media): fine of 2 to 5 million rubles or up to 5 years. Part 3 (disrespect for military glory days, insulting the memory of defenders, humiliating a veteran): up to 3 years; part 4 (internet, group): up to 5 years. Art. 13.48 is administrative: fine of 1,000 to 2,000 rubles or up to 15 days of arrest; a repeat: 2,500 to 5,000 or arrest. Limitation: 2 years for 354.1 parts 1 and 3, 6 years for parts 2 and 4, 90 days for 13.48.

Practice and how people are found

Judicial Department: 47 convicted under 354.1 in H1 2025 (31 a year earlier). SOVA knows of 68 rulings over statements in 2025, with 59 convicted; 72 new cases were opened against 76 people. One person was penalised under 13.48 in six months (SOVA Center, Oct 2025 and Apr 2026).

St Petersburg, 2025: a 354.1 conviction for a comment approving a Finnish sniper in the Winter War. People were also tried under 354.1 for images of the St George ribbon with critical comments. Crimea, 2025: a 13.48 fine for saying there should also have been a tribunal for those behind the deportations of peoples in the USSR.

Social media monitoring, complaints.

More: Criminal Code, art. 354.1 (ConsultantPlus); CAO art. 13.48 (ConsultantPlus); SOVA Center, 10.2025 (foreign agent); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent)

КоАП 6.21 / 6.21.1 / 6.21.2

'LGBT propaganda', gender transition and 'childfree' propaganda; 'paedophilia propaganda'; 'showing' LGBT content to minors

For what: Posts, photos, videos, books and films the authorities see as 'propaganda' of LGBT, gender transition or 'childfree'. A rainbow in a photo often yields two protocols at once: 6.21 and 20.3 (symbols of the 'extremist' 'LGBT movement'). Comments about LGBT can become a criminal case under 282.2.

Penalty: Administrative. 6.21 part 1: fine of 50,000 to 100,000 rubles; part 3 (internet or media): 100,000 to 200,000; among minors via the internet (part 4): 200,000 to 400,000. Foreigners: fine or up to 15 days of arrest plus expulsion. Since late 2024 (law of 23 Nov 2024) this includes 'propaganda of refusing to have children'. 6.21.2 (showing to minors): 50,000 to 100,000, online 100,000 to 200,000. 6.21.1: 200,000 to 400,000, online 400,000 to 800,000. Separately, after the Supreme Court ruling of 30 Nov 2023 the 'international LGBT movement' is on the 'extremist' list, so rainbow symbols can lead to art. 20.3 cases and activity to arts. 282.2 and 282.3.

Practice and how people are found

In 2025 at least 84 individuals were prosecuted for 'propaganda' and rainbow symbols, known fines of at least 6.36 million rubles, nine arrests of up to 15 days. Protocols under 6.21 together with 20.3 for rainbows became systematic practice; the first criminal cases under 282.4 for a repeat rainbow appeared (OVD-Info, 30 Jan 2026).

Sevastopol, 2025: a 50,000-ruble fine for 'childfree propaganda' on social media, the first known case under that rule. Yekaterinburg, 2026: a psychotherapist fined 100,000 rubles under 6.21 part 3 for four posts of a project helping transgender people. Khabarovsk region, 2025: a prisoner fined under 20.3 for an LGBT flag, then 50,000 rubles under 6.21.

Social media monitoring, checks of bookshops and streaming services (OVD-Info).

More: CAO art. 6.21 (ConsultantPlus); CAO art. 6.21.1; CAO art. 6.21.2; Ministry of Justice: 'extremist' list (item 107, 'LGBT movement'); OVD-Info, 30.01.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); Mediazona, 31.01.2025 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); Mediazona, 03.04.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); Mediazona, 18.12.2025 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); Coming Out (Vykhod), 26.12.2025 (foreign agent, extremist)

КоАП 20.1 ч.3-5

'Disrespect' online for society, the state, state symbols or authorities

For what: Posts and comments 'in an indecent form' about the state, flag, coat of arms, Constitution, state bodies, including the president.

Penalty: Administrative. Requires an 'indecent form'. Part 3: fine of 30,000 to 100,000 rubles. Part 4 (repeat): 100,000 to 200,000 or up to 15 days of arrest. Part 5 (after two or more penalties): 200,000 to 300,000 or up to 15 days of arrest. A repeat raises the penalty but does not become a criminal case. The prosecutor's office is notified of every case. Limitation 90 days.

Practice and how people are found

We found no verified figures for 2025 and 2026: SOVA does not include these parts in its count.

No verified examples from 2025 and 2026.

Monitoring; the prosecutor's office is notified of each case.

More: CAO art. 20.1 (ConsultantPlus)