Defamation, that is, the deliberate dissemination of incorrect information defaming the honor, dignity, business reputation of an individual or legal entity, was excluded from the list of criminal offenses last year. This happened in the light of the general tendency to mitigate punishments for offenses not related to the category of grave and especially grave. For defamation, only an administrative penalty was imposed in the form of a fine, moreover, of a very insignificant amount.
Practice has shown that the measure relating to slander is mistaken. Now, any slanderer could practically insult and defame anyone with impunity, including through the media and the Internet. Therefore, slander has recently been again recognized as a criminal offense. True, she is not punished with imprisonment, but large fines will have to be paid for her, the amount of which, depending on the gravity of the offense, can reach 5 million rubles.
At the same time, amendments to the current legislation regarding the creation of a registry of banned websites were approved. According to these amendments, in Russia they will create an automated information system (a single registry of domain names, network addresses of sites that contain prohibited information). This responsibility will be assigned to a special authorized body of the Government of the Russian Federation. The formation and maintenance of this registry will be carried out according to the results of Internet monitoring. Any organization registered in the Russian Federation and possessing the necessary technical capabilities can be involved in monitoring.
Currently, the law provides that this monitoring will be carried out in three main areas: search for sites that promote child pornography, disseminate information about the purchase or manufacture of drugs, and give instructions for the implementation of suicide. But it is possible that the powers of the supervisory authority will be expanded, including for the possibility of bringing to justice those who disseminate defamation on the Internet.
In the meantime, a citizen or legal entity who believes that the information disseminated in relation to him is false, libelous, damaging his honor, dignity and business reputation, remains to file a complaint with the magistrate's court. Such cases are considered by the court at the location of the defendant.
