Russia Hands Down First Conviction Under New Criminal Article for Online Drug Propaganda
Russia has issued its first criminal sentence under a newly introduced article targeting the propaganda of narcotics on the internet. A resident of Orenburg was ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 rubles and surrendered his mobile phone to the state after being found guilty under Article 230.3 of the Criminal Code.
The case originated when the man received a messenger offer to distribute leaflets at a rate of 10 rubles per posting. He printed an image containing a QR code and placed the advertisement on a building facade. The code and link led to resources advertising vacancies that included roles connected with the distribution of drugs.
Because the defendant had already faced two administrative penalties for unlawful drug advertising within the preceding year, prosecutors qualified the new offense under the criminal statute that entered into force on 1 March. The court treated the prior record as recidivism, an aggravating circumstance, yet accepted the defendant’s admission of guilt, remorse, and assistance to investigators, resulting in the minimum statutory fine.
Article 230.3 provides for penalties ranging from fines of 100,000 to 300,000 rubles to imprisonment for up to two years, as well as compulsory, corrective, or forced labor and restriction of freedom. The Central District Court of Orenburg confirmed that the sentence has already taken legal effect.
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