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A Russian Blogger Faces 5 Years in Prison For Playing ‘Pokemon Go’ in Church

A Russian Blogger Faces 5 Years in Prison For Playing ‘Pokemon Go’ in Church

A Russian blogger was arrested for posting video of himself playing “Pokemon Go” while in church. Ruslan Sokolovsky, 21, was charged with incitement of hatred or hostility and humiliation of human dignity, as well as violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion, and has filed an appeal and is waiting for a decision while in jail.

Sokolovsky is locally well-known for his atheist magazine that’s modeled after the French satire magazine, Charlie Hebdo.

Sokolovsky was filmed catching Pokemon in the church at the beginning of August—at the peak of “Pokemon Go” fever. At the beginning of the video, Sokolovsky makes a short disclaimer saying that he doesn’t believe the warnings put out by the media that playing “Pokemon Go” could result in jail time.

People on social media and in Russia have come forward in support of Sokolovsky’s charges being dropped. The mayor of Yekaterinburg, the city Sokolovsky lives in, called the arrest a disgrace.
“You cannot be arrested for human stupidity, bad manners and provocation.”

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