Can a quote from the Constitution of the Russian Federation discredit anything?

State Duma Deputy Maria Butina proposed teaching children profiling – assessing and predicting human behavior based on the analysis of the most informative particular signs, characteristics of appearance, verbal and non-verbal behavior.

The desire to control thoughts and feelings, to penetrate the plans and punish in advance – is becoming common in certain circles. And the objects of application are all of us. For example, a resident of the city of Ivanovo, Sergei Rimsky, went out to the square with a piece of paper on which 8 stars were marked – three on top and two on the bottom. And below is a quote from the Constitution of the Russian Federation: “Everyone is guaranteed freedom of thought and speech. Censorship is prohibited.”

Rimsky was detained, a protocol was drawn up. Police Inspector Senior Lieutenant M.S. Bezina sent a request for examination: “Can a quote from the Constitution of the Russian Federation, depicted on a leaflet, discredit the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation or prevent their use?”

For a quote from the Basic Law of the Russian Federation, citizen Rimsky was not brought to administrative or criminal liability. But in eight points, district judge Nikolai Vergasov saw the light (you can’t say otherwise) that the defendant “thus distorted and discredited the tasks of using the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation outside the Russian Federation and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation themselves, which are used outside the territory of the Russian Federation on the basis of generally recognized principles and norms of international law”.

It’s good that the judge of the regional court Nikolai Matveev canceled the fine.

In the same city of Ivanovo, another similar story happened. Citizen Vladislav Gainov came out onto the square with a piece of paper on which two words were written. He was detained, an administrative protocol was drawn up under part 1 of article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses – public actions aimed at discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. The text was sent for examination. Specialists of the forensic center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Ivanovo region did not see (!) in these two words “neither any statements about the actions of the Armed Forces, nor a negative assessment of such actions.”

However, the case came before consideration at a meeting of the Soviet District Court. Judge Irina Andreeva announced the decision:

“The content of the poster with the above inscription, with which Gainov was in a public place, does not in itself testify to the discrediting of the use of the Russian Armed Forces. Proceedings in the case of an administrative offense against Gainova The.A. under part 1 of Art. 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation to stop.

Now we will make public the very “above inscription”. On a piece of paper it was written: “Peace to the world.”

However, in both cases, at least there were some material traces: stars are depicted and even words are written, even if “Peace to the world.” But State Duma deputy Maria Butina proposes to file applications for people with law enforcement agencies based on their appearance and manners. In an interview with “Parliamentskaya Gazeta” she statedthat we need to teach our children profiling.

Profiling is the assessment and prediction of human behavior based on the analysis of the most informative particular signs, characteristics of appearance, verbal and non-verbal behavior. That is, reading thoughts, penetrating ideas.

“People with profiling skills can help law enforcement,” Butina explained. – Noticed a suspicious subject – report. You have to understand that civil vigilance is not denunciation.”

What if the applicant is wrong? Well, let’s imagine: a schoolboy saw how an outside uncle, passing by, stroked the head of a baby-butuz. I remembered the lessons of profiling – and turned to the right place. And now the special forces break into the apartment, all the neighbors, the whole district, the whole city know that they have captured “a bastard on suspicion of pedophilia.” All. End. Never wash off.

Let us repeat: the desire to control thoughts and feelings, to penetrate the plans and punish in advance – is becoming common in certain circles. And the objects of application are all of us.

True, there are still such judges as Irina Andreeva and Nikolai Matveev.

Sergei Baimukhametov.

Photo by Igor Ivanko / Moskva Agency