Controversial Russian legislator Vitaly Milonov, known for his reactionary and anti-gay views, has filed a request that Charlie Hebdo be added to a list of “extremist publications” in Russia.
“This magazine incites religious hatred and its materials, as we can see, lead to escalation of violence,” Milonov was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency TASS. “By banning the magazine, we want to prevent the arrival of its Russian version.”
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The legislator added that ideas and pictures like those published in Charlie Hebdo “won’t find support among the overwhelming majority of Russians.”
Milonov was the main initiator of a controversial law “against gay propaganda among minors,” which many considered to be a crackdown on the gay community.
Earlier, the media watchdog Roskomnadzor banned the publication of caricatures from Charlie Hebdo in Russian media.
“Of course, there are no excuses for terrorists who shoot at journalists,” said the agency’s spokesman. “However, Russian media should choose other forms of solidarity with their French colleagues who were tragically killed.”
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The media watchdog demanded that those outlets that had already published Charlie Hebdo caricatures remove them from their websites.
“Today, we were warned by a phone call from Roskomnadzor against publication of Charlie Hebdo caricatures or links to other media that justify the caricatures,” said Roman Khodakovsky, a newspaper publisher in Perm, on Facebook, adding that extremism charges could be pressed if the warning were not taken.
Meanwhile, there are plans to organize a mass rally “against publications offending the Prophet Muhammad” in Chechnya’s capital, Grozny, Chechnya’s government’s press service announced on its website.
“Several hundred thousand people are to take part in a protest rally against publication in Western media of materials aiming to offend the Prophet Muhammad,” said the announcement, without giving a date for the event.
