For those that have followed this blog, you know I’m a huge advocate for free speech and First Amendment rights. One reason I’m so passionate about this is because in other countries, blogging can likely get you in prison.
In Stavropool, Russia, a nurse turned blogger named Viktor Krasnov?wrote a scathing pro-atheist article. In the US, it would cause controversy at worse. In Russia, he debated online with a fellow blogger. The opposing blogger filed a criminal complaint and had Krasnov arrested, claiming that, “…he offended the sentiments of Orthodox believers.” They even made him undergo a psychiatric evaluation at a mental hospital, then put him on trial. After months in the facility, he’s declared sane. Krasnov’s trial is still pending. If convicted, Krasnov could spend a year in prison. And from what I hear, Russian prisons are no joke! According to Russian prosecutors, Krasnov violated “hooliganism” laws, which is defied as a “…gross violation of public order, clearly expressing contempt for society.” Even in Scotland, British police arrested someone for criticizing their government’s stance of accepting Syrian refugees. Police cited, ‘offensive Facebook comments’. Don’t even get me started on nations like Saudi Arabia.
You thought getting fired for Facebook posts and blogs was tough? The fact that assaults?on freedom of speech is happening in Great Britain is scary. And what happened to Russia? I thought the communist era ended a quarter century ago. This isn’t the first time the Russian government has done such a thing. This goes way beyond being careful of what you post and what you put on the Internet. These incidents are blatant attacks on freedoms we in the USA have taken for granted for so long. This is why I’ve been so worried over the last several years over NSA revelations?and tighter surveillance. We have to take a stand for our Constitutional rights before all end up like Viktor Krasnov. Can this kind of censorship happened to the United States of America?