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Dee Dee Blanchard and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
How a mental disorder destroyed the life of an entire family

Reading time 6 minutes

In June 2015, 48-year-old Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard was found dead in her bed. A day later, police found her daughter: the girl had been hiding in the apartment of her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, who had killed Dee Dee and stabbed her seventeen times. After a year-long investigation, the court sentenced Gypsy Rose Blanchard to ten years in prison and her boyfriend to life in prison.

For twenty-four years, Claudine physically and emotionally oppressed her daughter, forcing her to pretend she was sick. Although the woman was never accurately diagnosed during her lifetime, forensic psychologists believe Blanchard suffered from a condition known as Munchausen syndrome (MSP). Munchausen syndrome is a psychological disorder in which the caregiver, in most cases the mother, intentionally induces symptoms of various illnesses in the child in order to meet the child’s psychological needs.

Munchausen syndrome is a rare but severe form of child maltreatment that often goes undiagnosed. To identify the condition, clinicians must thoroughly investigate the client’s background in case there is a discrepancy between the parents’ statements and previous medical reports. One of the most important ways to confirm suspected MSP is to separate the caregiver and child to see how the patient’s health changes. Diagnosing MSP is extremely difficult because sufferers often appear to be mentally healthy, while their children may show symptoms of real illnesses, making it difficult for doctors to distinguish between true physiological disorders and those caused by a parent.

Dee Dee Blanchard is a prime example of a person with Munchausen syndrome by proxy. She used basic medical knowledge from her work as a nurse’s aide to confirm Gypsy’s long list of illnesses. Blanchard was able to convince doctors that her daughter was paralyzed from the waist down, even though the girl could walk independently and did not need a wheelchair. Depending on which doctor she spoke to, Dee Dee changed her family story. To one cardiologist, for example, she pretended that many members of her family had died of heart attacks. As a result, doctors and nurses became unwitting accomplices in a fraudulent scheme, prescribing unnecessary surgeries and medications for the girl.

Gypsy Blanchard in a wheelchair. Photo from Disneyland

Munchausen syndrome most often develops in people who were neglected or abused by their parents in childhood, says Mark D. Feldman, MD and an honorary member of the American Psychiatric Association. After studying the Blanchard family’s case in depth, Dr. Feldman concluded that the cause of Dee Dee’s mental disorder was her strained relationship with her own mother, who had humiliated her daughter all her life. As a result, Claudine satisfied her need for attention by creating conditions in which Gypsy could not even physically get along without her.

Mugshots of Gypsy Blanchard and her boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn

Like other people with MSP, Dee Dee satisfied her psychological needs not only at the expense of her child, but also at the expense of those around her. She gained public recognition for devoting all her time to caring for her “sick” daughter. People donated money to help the family: in 2009, the girl received the “Child of the Year” award and $5,000 for her resilience from the Olya Foundation, a nonprofit dietitian community and advocacy group.

So it went for more than twenty years until 2015, when Gypsy plotted murder to get rid of her mother’s overprotectiveness and run off with her boyfriend. “The control was total, just as sometimes control over a kidnapped victim is total. Your daughter was indeed a hostage, and I think we can understand the crime that happened afterwards from the perspective of a hostage trying to escape,” Dr. Mark Feldman said.

Once upon a time in Japan, there was a Sada Abe
About the geisha who killed her lover and became a celebrity

Reading time 7 minutes

In 1905, the seventh child was born into the family of Shigeyoshi and Katsu Abe – a girl named Sada. As the youngest daughter, Sada was surrounded by attention and care from her parents, who indulged her every whim. The girl learned to play the shamisen¹ in order to be like her idols – charming geishas.

The main commandment of a geisha is to endlessly please a man without losing dignity.

However, when Sada was 15 years old, she was raped at a friend’s house. It turned her whole life upside down. Sada turned into an uncontrollable teenager: she did not obey her parents, skipped school, she had many sexual relationships. As punishment, the girl was sent to the Yokohama geisha school in 1922. At that time, many Japanese families did this to cleanse themselves of shame and try to guide their daughters on the right path.

Images from the film "Empire of the Senses", based on the biography of Sada Abe — Images from the film “Empire of the Senses”, based on the biography of Sada Abe

At the geisha school, girls are taught from early childhood, so 15-year-old Sada could no longer become a real geisha. Instead, she worked as a matigeisha, that is, a pseudo-geisha who provided sexual services. She was engaged in this activity for five years until she fell ill with syphilis. Then Sada became a licensed prostitute.

Sada Abe made several attempts to escape from the brothel where she was

Until 1934, the girl worked in several brothels until she was arrested for lack of a license. Sada lost her when she stole money from a client. In prison, she met a friend of the brothel owner, Kinnosuke Kasahara, who helped to free her. Kinnosuke took a liking to Sada, and they became lovers. Sada lived in a house bought by Kasahara and lived on the money he gave her. However, the man did not want to leave his family and marry Abe. Soon the lovers parted. Sada recalled:

“He didn’t love me and treated me like an animal. He was one of those scum who, after parting, begged me to return.”

After breaking up with Kasahara, Sada moved to Nagoya, where she met Professor Goro Omiya. A romance began between them, and on the advice of her lover, Sada got a job as a waitress at the Yoshida-ya restaurant in order to gain experience and open her own business in the future. The Yoshida-ya restaurant was owned by Kichizo Ishida. Passion broke out between the worker and the boss. The lovers spent whole days together.

“It is even difficult to explain what was so attractive in Isis. But it was absolutely impossible to say anything bad about him, about how he looked, what kind of lover he was, how he expressed his feelings. I have never met such a sexy man before,” Sada said.

However, like Kasahara, Ishide did not want to part with his wife and children. Sade had to part with her beloved, and she fell into a deep depression. At this time, Abe attended one performance in which a geisha threatened her lover with a knife. Sada remembered this episode and performed this trick at the next meeting with Ishida. Kitizo liked it. During the next dates, Sada even strangled Kitizo, as it turned him on.

On May 18, 1936, Sada strangled Kitizo and lay next to his corpse for several hours. She then cut off his genitals, wrapped them in newspaper, and fled.

“I couldn’t take his body or head with me. I wanted to take a piece of his body that aroused the most vivid memories,” Sada will later tell the police.

The windows of the hotel where the murder took place

On May 19, 1936, Sada was arrested by the police, and on November 20 of the same year, the court sentenced her to 6 years in prison. In November 1940, she was released early due to a general amnesty. Sada changed her name, and nothing is known about her further fate. Based on police interrogations and inquiries, they wrote a book that became a bestseller. The story of Sada Abe became a popular subject for books, plays, and films over the following decades and even to this day. In 1946, women in Japan gained the right to vote. The new climate in the country turned Sada into a victim of male exploitation. The fury of the woman and her cruelty were regarded as an attempt to resist the harsh totalitarian regime.

Angels and “demons”: did aliens really contact saints?
Depictions of UFOs in Christian churches and pictures since the 11th century

Reading time 4 minutes

Did the humans descend from Adam and Eve? Not quite, some of the researchers say. We can see an increasing amount of assertions and so-called “facts” that human beings are under the control of aliens. Some ufologists state that extraterrestrials allegedly contact some of us. However, the Church’s official representatives do not just reject all these statements but even a theoretical possibility of such kind of “interaction” between a man and “beings from other planets and not just”. Why does the Church with so much vigor try to “retain its monopoly” on the Human Origins?

2014 almost the whole scientific community was curious about an unusual finding. A strange fresco with a supposedly depicted flying saucer was found in a Romanian church. Moreover, the same kind of enigmatic inscription from the Bible was written at the bottom of the image in German: “Israel hoffe auf den herrn” (“O Israel, hope in the Lord”). Apart of a flying saucer, in this story we face 2 more additional mysterious facts:

The fresco dates from the 14th century and there is an original line in German, although Bible was translated by Martin Luther only in 1522.
At that time there lived the ruler of Wallachia Vlad II who was father of Vlad the Impaler also known as Vlad Dracula.

Biserica Manastirii, or Church of the Dominican Monastery, in the town of Sighisoara, Romania (14th century)

One more similar discovery happened in 2017 in Georgia. There, during the reconstruction of the church, scientists found the mural painting of 12 apostles and Jesus during the crucifixion dating from the 11th century. At the top of the picture one may see 2 unknown flying objects which resemble alien spaceships.

"Crucifixion of Jesus" on the walls of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Georgia (11th century) — “Crucifixion of Jesus” on the walls of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Georgia (11th century)

Two other images of the Jesus’ crucifixion with flying saucers being present are the “Crucifixion of Christ” in the monastery Visoki Decani dating from the 14th century and a picture “La Tebaide” created by Paolo Uccello (1396-1475) .

“Crucifixion of Christ” in the monastery Visoki Decani, Kosovo (14th century)

So, what do the Church’s officials say about the “extraterrestrial contact” and existence of other civilizations beyond Solar system?

Regardless of being Orthodox and Catholics, Jews or Evangelicals priests are convinced that all the information from so-called witnesses is nothing else as a part of their vivid imaginations, nightmares or even a proof of their sinfulness and connection with the devil.

One of the most logic explanations of such kind of Church servants’ reaction is just a lack of this sort of information in holy scriptures. The Church fears to lose its impact on people, its dominating presence in people’s life in terms of accepting the fact of existence of more developed and powerful forces. It fears to get a lower rank position in people’s world outlook and as a consequence a loss of its respect and authority.

"Baptism of Christ" Aert De Gelder (1645-1727) — “Baptism of Christ” Aert De Gelder (1645-1727)

Anyway, it looks a bit illogical from priests’ side that in view of the absence of information they do preserve only a negative attitude regarding flying saucers as they are depicted in temples near saints and not in a “hostile” way. Why in case of their existence cannot they be helpful to us?

A good example of it is a depiction of Moses receiving commandments from God. It is a world-famous fresco which is placed on one of the walls of the Belgian Cathedral Conti Dotremond.

A painting on wood near the castle Conti Dotremond, Belgium. Moses is receiving the tablets. Date and artist unknown

It depends on you whether believe or not in aliens and their possible “visits” to our planet but in no case we have a right to accuse somebody to be inadequate, mentally ill or “linked to the Lucifer” as it sometimes happens. Nevertheless, we should not trust everyone who has seen “them” as too many people create stories for different reasons.

“There is something to lose your head from”
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin as a role model of responsible citizen at the lockdown

Reading time 5 minutes

Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin is the father of contemporary Russian language. Pupils read “Eugene Onegin”, “Belkin’s Stories”, plays “Mozart and Salieri”, “The Miserly Knight”, “A Feast during the Plague” as well as adults reread. And who can remember from his youth that all these works were written at the height of the cholera epidemic of 1830?

How Alexander Pushkin got into the backwoods far away from his friends

Pushkin and Natalia Nikolaevna Goncharova were engaged in may 1830. He obtained the consent to the marriage only from the third request. The financial affairs of the bride were so up the spout that Alexander Sergeyevich himself had to earn money for the dowry which he allegedly received. Sergey Lvovich found with difficulty a not mortgaged estate that he could give to his son.

Master's house in Bolsino, family Pushkin's estate — Master’s house in Bolsino, family Pushkin’s estate

Boldino is a village of 500 souls. The father allocated to the son a nearby village Kistenevka, a part of Boldino estate. “Collegiate Secretary Alexander Sergeev, son of Pushkin” hastened to draw it up in a separate possession and pawn to get money for the wedding. For this reason, he arrived in Nizhny Novgorod province in September. He was forced to stay there for two months due to cholera quarantine.

Why should we take the poet for a model?

He didn’t lose composure

Alexander Sergeevich wrote two dozen of letters during the autumn in Boldino. He made up with the bride. Natalia Nikolaevna agreed to marry without a dowry.

Natalya Nikolaevna Goncharova, the bride and then the wife of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin

At the same time, the writer did not forget about literary and critical practice. He asked Pogodin who was the publisher of the “Moscow Vedomosti” to send his tragedy “Marfa, Posadnitsa Novgorodskaya” for criticism. And in response, Pushkin sent a poem “The Hero” written on the occasion of the appearance of Nicholas I in cholera Moscow. The poet was not embarrassed to speak out against the regime naming himself but he wanted to publish the “apocalyptic song” with approval of the autocrat’s actions anonymously.

Pushkin willingly wrote many poems in Boldino. Autumn was the most fruitful time for him. The author was glad to be unexpectedly free to write what he wished and walk where he could. That feeling was expressed to his friend Pletnev in letters.

Pushkin approved of getting information in time

He read the cholera bulletins named “The Bulletin on the State of the Moscow City” which were published in the “Moscow Vedomosti”. The suspense tormented him. Alexander Sergeyevich was worried about the health of his family and the bride. He asked her to write regularly and was upset when the letters were long. Natalya Nikolaevna’s reply of October 1, he received on the October 26th. All suspicious and unverified information about the disease was rejected by him. A year earlier Pushkin had been to Arzrum where he had seen an outbreak of the plague, so he knew that the picture of devastation and the number of victims were often exaggerated.

Pushkin's letter to Praskovya Osipova. Punctured envelopes mark "cholera" correspondence. Letters were fumigated with sulfur or chlorine through the holes for disinfection — Pushkin’s letter to Praskovya Osipova. Punctured envelopes mark “cholera” correspondence. Letters were fumigated with sulfur or chlorine through the holes for disinfection

The writer was aware of necessity of precautions and lockdown

While there were no letters from Goncharova, the poet repeatedly tried to find out where the bride was. He was angry and concerned about her staying in Moscow and advised her to go to the country. Pushkin recalled a trip to the Caucasus and asked Natalia Nikolaevna to be careful and avoid cholera places. He also tried to go to Moscow and connect with his beloved. He was ready to stay in quarantine for as long as it would be necessary, though the poet did not visit the cordoned-off areas.

Pixar continues to move onward
The new studio film received the first reviews

Reading time 4 minutes

On February 20, preliminary screenings of the new cartoon of the animated film studio Pixar “Onward” were held. The first reviews of the audience were positive. Most of those who watched agree that the picture has a standard for Pixar beautiful and elaborate animation, a touching story and an excellent soundtrack.

Главные герои "Вперед" (ноги тоже!) — The main characters are “Onward” (legs too!)

According to the annotation, the action of the cartoon will take place in a magical world, from which all magic had disappeared as a result of some terrible event. But fabulous creatures, such as trolls, centaurs or elves, remained and were forced to live an ordinary (human) life. The main characters are two elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot. They will receive the magic staff that their deceased father bequeathed them. This staff will launch a series of adventures. The brothers will try to get their father back and find out how magic left their world. Interestingly, both brothers were voiced by actors who gained popularity thanks to roles in Marvel studio films – Tom Holland (Spider-Man) and Chris Pratt (Star Lord).

Режиссер Дэн Скэнлон — Diector Dan Scanlon

The film was annotated in 2017 at the annual D23 Expo, which is dedicated to new Disney studio projects. It was immediately announced that the director and screenwriter of the picture would be Dan Scanlon. “Onward” is the second full-length cartoon in his career. Previously, he was also the director and script writer of the prequel to Monsters, Inc., Monsters University, which was released in 2013. Scanlon was also the creator of the 2006 short film, 2Mater and the Ghostlight”. This movie was dedicated to the tow truck Mater, a secondary character in the cartoon Cars of the same year. Following the success of these films, Pixar launched the animated series “Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Tales2, which ran from 2008 to 2014 on the Disney Channel. Scanlon did not take part in the creation of the series.

On February 17, the future of the film was in jeopardy: an artist and tattoo artist Danier from San Francisco sued the creators of the cartoon for copyright infringement. According to the plaintiff’s position, Pixar, without her permission, copied Danier’s unique vanicorn design featuring a unicorn. It turned out that in September 2018, Pixar representatives rented the van “as an artwork at a corporate music evening.” But at the presentation of promotional materials for the cartoon in May 2019, Danier saw a van that looked exactly like her. She later contacted “Onward” producer Corey Ray. Ray asked the victim to sign a non-disclosure agreement, but did not pay the compensation. Now the artist demands not only monetary compensation, but also an injunction against distribution of advertising, goods and the film itself. The film company has not yet commented on this situation.

“Journalistic is not a profession to come into, it is a profession to be seduced”
Cheese maker, journalist, and optimist Halina Spasskaya speaks about the ability of living how you want

Reading time 6 minutes

When Moscow began to grow beyond Sadovoe ring, I was working as a cheese making technologist. I was able to distinguish 100 kinds of cheese. But one day I accidentally turned up at the radio-station and fell in love with it. Journalistic is not a profession to come into, it is a profession to be seduced.

Love and session

I entered Moscow state university but was dropped out of it at the end of the first year. Thus, I understood once and for all my life that love and session are incompatible. My choice was never in favour of session… It is a family feature: my grandfather was expelled from a seminary because of his love affairs. By the way, he married a beautiful woman and became an engineer. He worked at Kurskiy railway station, so lobbied landowner L’vova’s interests when she decided to divide her estate into sites and sell them for dachas. Exactly that dachas are said to be described in “Vishneviy sad” by Chekhov. As for the faculty of journalism, I finished it in Moscow State University of Printing Arts.

“Tyoshcha”, convicts and full bears

This painting was drawn by Halina Romanovna's pupil. By common consent of her old friends, it depicts her character most of all. — This painting was drawn by Halina Romanovna’s pupil. By common consent of her old friends, it depicts her character most of all

One day I was promptly sent to the event in Onega at White sea. When I rushed to the ticket office, it turned out that Onega can be reached just by the only trailer car which went once a week. That trailer car had already gone. That is why I developed the tactic and went with changes to Plesetsk then by Murmansk train to the station from which train for workers, “tyoshcha”, went twice a day. However, I did not count that Murmansk railway was a single-track one and after driving through one section, the train waited for the oncoming one to do the same. Due to this fact, I missed the “tyoshcha”. So, I went to the station masters-on-duty and said that I had to be in Onega till 7 p.m when the event started. They replied, “Easy as pie! Once you have gone right through the taiga about 2 or 3 km, you will see the road along which convicts are carrying the forest. They will give you a lift. People as people. Don’t be frightened, bears are full in Autumn”. Well, I am a sensible woman I asked for another way. It was pretty suitable. Girls stopped the passing locomotive, “You’ ll be transferred to the track crossover. We’ve called the duty. She’ll stop the oncoming car to Onega”. How unique northern people are! I was afraid that convicts might pass by but the duty reassured, “Don’t worry, I closed the crossover, nobody can pass by without stopping”. Yeah, they gave me a lift, so I was in time for the event.

PhD’s envy

Nowadays Halina Romanovna takes any possibility to travel, though, by more comfortable transport. She prefers rucksacks to suitcases which never takes with her

My progress in journalistic was quick I became an editor at “Podolsk-radio” but still felt that I have lack of knowledge in social science. That is why I started searching for places where I could study. At that very time Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences was opened. It was the only place where sociologists were taught and I was lucky to get after-graduate programme as academic Igor Bestuzhev-Lada tutee. I was attracted by the programme of social psychology. Studying was splendiferous: lectures were held once a week and we got wages for it. Moreover, a month time off was given to us to prepare a dissertation and we could take another one without salary to finish it. Of course, I used them all! My husband envied he said, “I am a scientist of the Russian Academy of Sciences and I have only 45 days off while you have 54”.

Don’t wait – live now

In childhood my health was poor. I had congenital heart disease and diabetes but father always told me, “You can always lie as an ill person but you ought to live energetically. Now”. He taught me to ride a horse, drive a car, swim. There is a 300 metres long pond in our town and father said that I should swim it across to learn how to swim. I was stunned. It was scary… However, I succeeded at the second try. When I was floundering, he held me up. My father skied with me, let me drive a motorbike, even sent me to a shooting club. By the way, I had the first ranking because I could shoot 96 targets from 100. In my opinion, active social lifestyle starts when you stop frightening of working.

Halina Romanovna's Instagram page — Halina Romanovna’s Instagram page

Nowadays, Galina Romanovna is Podolsk star. Over 17 hundred of people are subscribed to her Instagram blog. “Orel i reshka. Babushka” casting must have added fame indeed.

He foresaw his death
Football player "Cardiff City" Emiliano Sala wrote a farewell message from the aircraft

Reading time 4 minutes

The shocking news of the death of Emiliano Sal — Argentine footballer, Cardiff City striker — spread on January 22, when a private plane heading from Nantes to Cardiff disappeared from radars in the English Channel. It is noted that before the disappearance, the pilots requested an emergency landing. According to The Sun, experts in the field of aviation called the possible cause of the crash of an aircraft icing wings. Near the alleged crash site were found the wreckage of the aircraft.

Two days before the incident, Emiliano Sala signed a three-year contract with the Cardiff City team of Wales. He became the most expensive transfer in the history of the club and cost the leadership of 20 million euros. After the signing of the new agreement, the Argentine striker returned to France, where he played since 2010, to say goodbye to former teammates and friends before moving to Wales.

Before the flight, Sala sent several emotional messages to the group chat with his friends. “I am aboard a plane that looks as if it is falling apart now, I’m going to Cardiff. If in one and a half hours there will be no news from me, I don’t know if they will send someone to look for me, because they will not find it, but … you already know. Father! I am very scared,” the Clarin newspaper quotes the words of a striker.

Сало с одноклубниками — Форвард приехал во Францию попрощаться со своими друзьями и одноклубниками

Famous football players, including Messi, Mbappa, Gundogan and others, together with the family of the missing person, are making their efforts to continue the search for a football player. But the chances are negligible. “I don’t think they are still alive,” the GFFN quoted the air search officer.

Фанаты скорбят по футболисту — Футбольные фанаты возлагают цветы в память о своем кумире

On January 29, a match in the memory of Emiliano Sala between Cardiff City and London Arsenal took place as part of the 24th round. Before the meeting, the team captains laid flowers on the field. At the request of the football player’s family, the players of the Welsh team will not be mourning symbols: faith in the good does not leave the family to the last.

Incident in Paris
Picture of Banksy was stolen from the Bataclan

Reading time 4 minutes

The work of British artist Banksy, painted as a tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack in 2015, was stolen from the Bataclan music hall in Paris. The work, which depicts a young woman with a mournful face, was cut and removed from one of the emergency doors of the concert venue.

вап — Banksy’s picture is estimated to be worth millions

The police are trying to find the thieves and return the work of art, which is approximately estimated to cost millions of euros. The alarm inside the Bataclan reportedly rang around 4: 25 am. Police found a screwdriver near the scene of the painting theft. Also, law enforcement agencies found the witness who reported that had seen the white truck and three suspicious people near a crime scene.

The attack in Bataclan was the bloodiest of a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris. In November 2015, 90 people were killed when gunmen attacked spectators during a rock concert.

После теракта парижане приносили к стенам Батаклана цветы в дань памяти погибшим — After the attack Parisians brought flowers to the walls of Bataklan in tribute to the memory of the dead

Francois Vaulin, mayor of the 11th district of Paris, said: “this silhouette was made by the artist for free. It was an altruistic gesture, a tribute to the memory of the victims of the terrorist attack and their loved ones, and I am very sad that people stole the picture, not understanding what it represents.”

The leadership of Bataclan expressed its deep indignation on Twitter that they had taken away the symbol of memory belonging to all: local residents, Parisians, citizens of the world. “The painting had significance in this particular place, so we decided to keep it there so that it would be accessible to everyone.”

Banksy’s picture appeared on one of the garages in the UK

Over the past decade, the art of Banksy has become extremely popular and in demand. One of his works, which appeared in one of the garages in the UK, was recently sold for a “six-figure amount.”

Who is Banksy

Banksy is a popular British graffiti artist. He keeps his identity a secret.

His graffiti paintings appear in public places, for example, on the walls of buildings. His work is distinguished by a special style that people can easily recognize.

In the early 1990s, he began painting trains and walls in his hometown of Bristol. In the 2000s, his work went beyond Bristol and soon became a significant phenomenon of world culture.

Earlier in January 2018 graffiti was found at the station of the monorail in Tokyo. The pattern has similarities with the well-known picture of Banksy’s “Rat-umbrella”, he also depicts a rat-parachutist with an umbrella.

“I hope, my last word will not be the last”
Блогеру Соколовскому грозит три с половиной года колонии за ловлю покемонов в храме

Reading time 12 minutes

Sorry, this text was translated with Google machine. Mistakes and misunderstandings are possible!

What happened?

The prosecution demanded to sentence the new Ruslan Sokolovsky to three and a half years in a penal colony. This statement in the judicial debates in the Ekaterinburg district court gave the Prosecutor Ekaterina Kalinina. In her speech, she also noted that a blogger accused of extremism and insulting the feelings of believers, expresses a negative attitude not only to the Church but to the state as a whole. “The information in the video “Anus itself block, Roskomnadzor”, shows how Sokolowski refers to the state, the President, the citizens. Expression of disrespect to the state is unacceptable, and suspended sentence will only breed a sense of impunity,” – said Kalinin. Ruslan Sokolovsky, in turn, is not guilty. The final verdict will be announced on 11 may at 11 o’clock.

what judge Sokolowski?

In early August of 2016 blogger filmed a prank video about how he plays the popular mobile game Pokemon Go in the Temple-on-Blood in Ekaterinburg. A video posted on the Youtube channel Sokolowski, attracted the attention of both media and the Ministry of internal Affairs. A few weeks later the blogger was arrested on charges of offending religious feelings (article 148 of the criminal code) and inciting hatred or enmity, and humiliation of human dignity (article 282 of the criminal code). First, Sokolovsky was placed in jail, but the defense appealed this decision, and he was transferred under house arrest.

During the investigation it became known that since may 2013 to September 2016 Sokolowski posted on his channel nine videos that, according to experts, contain signs of extremism and insults the feelings of believers. In addition, after searching the apartment of blogger, the investigation found a ballpoint pen with a hidden camera in the housing. This finding has led to the fact that Sokolovsky, among other things, accused in one episode according to the article 138 of the criminal code (trafficking of special technical means for secret obtaining of information) – use hidden camera.

At the time of trial Sokolovsky accused of committing 17 criminal episodes.

What is the reaction of the accused?

During the meeting on April 28 Ruslan Sokolovsky made the last word. The blogger admitted that he was shocked by the requested time: “I was in jail and realize that this is only a prelude to hell.”

Sokolovsky also said he still considers himself an atheist, a cosmopolitan and libertarian without any religion and nationality. According to videoblogger in prison, he met many believers and realized how vulnerable and sensitive they really are. Despite this blogger about religion have not changed. Some of the offended believers threatened Sokolowski rape. The reasons for this hate blogger doesn’t understand.

“I am not an extremist. I may be an idiot, but I am in no way an extremist. As told by the experts, is not my fault that I denied God, and that I denied God using math. And I don’t know since when the Mat is considered to be extremism”, – said Sokolowski, before thanking the public for their support.

Also, the blogger admitted that he knows, if he survives in prison and released after three and a half years, you will lose everything that he has now: work, school, girls.

“I hope, my last word will not be the last,” added Sokolowski.

Why Sokolovsky generally hunted in the temple?

In the summer of 2016, when the scandalous video Sokolovsky only beginning to gain popularity, many YouTube viewers were convinced that the main goal of the blogger is to cause as much “hype” (hype) around his person. In response to this, Sokolowski recorded another video, which explained his position: “Many people are accusing me that I pursue HYIP. But, you know, first, all bloggers are chasing the hype because it is the work of blogger. And secondly, if I really was chasing a HYIP, I would now filmed DIY (stands for Do It Yourself – “do it with your hands.” Sokolowski says on the popular online video-lessons hand-made approx.ed.), but not video, which I could go to jail. It just has a more difficult path”.Also, the blogger added that catching pokemon in the temple is, first and foremost, a protest against the law on insulting the feelings of believers: “We don’t have to live in a country where we are bound hand and foot because of some sectarians. Why do they come to schools and teach some “Word of God”, and we teach the theory of evolution in the churches have no right?”.

In addition, Sokolovsky assured his audience that to insult or humiliate any he was not going: “I wanted to draw attention to the problem of obscurantism, but not to insult any specific people. I, in fact, did nothing wrong – was in the temple with the phone. All”.

How to relate to the ongoing social network users?

Leonid Volkov, head of the election headquarters of Alexei Navalny tweeted:

Alexey Navalny, commenting on the severity of the sentence, wrote the following:

Sports journalist Vasily Utkin and does put forward his own theory, which explains the drop in popularity of Pokemon Go:

What is the “law on insulting the feelings of believers”?

Blasphemy laws exist in many countries. Their main task is to protect the citizens belonging to a particular faith from harassment. The attitude of legislators to the defamation of religion varies greatly from sentence to death for insulting Islam (Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia), or long imprisonment (Indonesia, Algeria, India) to complete absence of structure of a crime (European Union, USA).

In Russia up to 2013, the insult of feelings of believers was considered only an administrative offence. Under the ban got the deliberate desecration of the liturgical books and religious documents and ritual objects of special veneration: signs, emblems, slogans and symbols.

In early June 2013 the State Duma adopted the amendment to increase liability “for insulting the feelings of believers.” On 29 June, the law approved by the Federation Council entered into force. The most significant change was the establishment of criminal liability in the form of imprisonment for “public actions expressing clear disrespect for society and committed to insult the religious feelings of believers”.

expert Comments specifically for HIT.MEDIA:

Gleb Bogush, PhD, associate Professor, faculty of law, HSE:

— I believe that this whole process is the unjustified use of criminal law and misappropriation of state resources needed for more important and useful purposes. For example, the fight against terrorism.

expert Comments specifically for HIT.MEDIA:

Gleb Bogush, PhD, associate Professor, faculty of law, HSE:

Punishment Sokolowski requested by the representative of the state prosecution, is not only an act of extraordinary cruelty, but demand not in accordance with the law. In accordance with the Criminal code (article 60), the sentence must reflect the public danger of the crime and the identity of the perpetrator, take into account the influence of the appointed punishment on correction of the perpetrator and the living conditions of his family. Even if we agree that the actions Sokolowski contain structure of the crime to imprison a young person for a non – violent act- the measure is unjustified. Isolation from society is the exclusive means, especially in relation to persons not previously convicted. It is obvious that she is beyond any reasonable court of coercive measures. We should not forget that the requested sentence Sokolowski exceeds the maximum term of punishment for some kinds of murder (intentional killing of another person).

I’d like to remind the Prosecutor that the provisions of the Criminal code for him as required, both for the court and other state bodies. Of course, far beyond the powers of the Prosecutor are heard in the debate Sokolowski wishes to leave the state because he supposedly negatively related to it. A negative attitude to the state, not to mention the individual institutions, if it is not manifested in illegal actions, is not subject to criminal-legal assessment. Freedom of opinion and expression is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and international law. Not the Prosecutor to decide where and how must the citizens of the Russian Federation.

The use of deprivation of liberty in the fight against free speech is futile and harmful.

The blog is in prison not jail. Unlike blogger, unfortunately.

Trump burn bridges in relations with Russia
Далеко идущие последствия ракетного удара США по сирийской авиабазе

Reading time 10 minutes

Sorry, this text was translated with Google machine. Mistakes and misunderstandings are possible!

What happened?

The seventh of April, about 4:00 in the morning local time, US forces launched a missile strike on Syrian airbase “Sirat”. From the Mediterranean sea near Crete, us destroyers “porter” and “Ross” was released 59 “Tomahawk”, the purpose of which became a military facility in the province of HOMS (approximately 160 km South of Damascus).

The same day Donald trump said that the strike was a response to a chemical attack in the province of Idlib, which, according to the Pentagon, was carried out by the Syrian air force, stationed at the “Sirat”. The American President said that “preventing and deterring the proliferation and use of deadly chemical weapons in the interests of national security of the United States.”

According to Russian sources, of the 59 cruise missiles to the airbase Shirt flew only 23. The exact number of victims is not yet established, “Izvestiya” reported ten victims of war. It is also known that as a result of the strike destroyed the warehouse, radar, school building and six MiG-23.

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Press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov said that Putin considers strikes of the U.S. armed forces against Syria “aggression under false pretenses” and a “violation of international law.” According to the President, the chemical weapons from the Syrian authorities not – it was destroyed under the supervision of a special organization authorized by the UN. Putin also sees the strikes on Syria by United States attempt to divert world attention from the numerous victims among the civilian population in Iraq. He believes that “this move brings us closer to the ultimate goal in the fight against international terrorism, but on the contrary creates a serious obstacle to the creation of the international coalition to counter it and effectively counter this evil world that the President of the United States Donald trump proclaimed as one of the main objectives even during his election campaign.”

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov compared the incident with the situation in Iraq in 2003, when “the United States and the United Kingdom together with its allies invaded Iraq without the consent of the security Council”.

The representative of the Russian foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova announced the suspension of the Memorandum on the prevention of air incidents in Syria between Russia and the United States. After the signing of the Memorandum us and Russian military had a round the clock communication channel and to notify each other about planned operations. This helps to avoid collision of aircraft and ensure the security of the military on both sides.

What was the reason?

Early in the morning on the territory of Syria was used chemical weapons – presumably, chlorine or sarin. The attack was carried out from aircraft, eyewitnesses reported that it could be Syrian fighter-bombers su-22. According to human rights, from poisoning killed 72 people, including 20 children. Thus, the Ministry of defense of Syria, its involvement in the airstrike completely denies.

According to Donald trump, “none of the children of the Lord” shall not pass through the horror, through which Syrian civilians”. He called to “end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and terrorism of all kinds and all types.”

Responsibility for the chemical attack in Idlib most of the countries put on the Damascus – this was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the President of the European Council Donald Tusk. French President Francois Hollande called the incident a war crime.

Reaction of the world community

Prime Minister Theresa may has called America’s actions “commensurate with impact” in response to Assad. Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande admitted the attack on the airbase justified, but called back to resolve the situation in Syria under the auspices of the UN. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the decision of Donald trump, saying that he “made clear that it will not tolerate the use and proliferation of chemical weapons.” Also, the number of countries that have approved the decision of the United States, were Japan, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Italy.

An emergency UN Security Council held on 7 April at the request of Bolivia, backed by Russia, showed a divergence of views on this issue. The representative of Bolivia has compared the current situation to 2003, when U.S. Secretary of state shown here, the vial of “anthrax” as proof of the presence in Iraq of chemical weapons that later turned out to be a fiction. The view that military operations of the Syrian problem cannot be solved, expressed by the representatives of Egypt, Uruguay, Senegal, China and Japan. Britain and France have accused Assad of using chemical weapons, and therefore considered the impact of “Tomahawks” was justified.

Deputy of Russia’s permanent representative to the UN Vladimir Safronkov hit the United States with the criticism, Recalling that a few hours before the missile strike, the security Council tried to agree to conduct a qualified investigation of the events in Flybe to establish the true picture and of the perpetrators of the chemical attacks, but the US rejected this proposal.

The US representative to the UN, Nikki Haley said that “the United States has taken a very reasonable step, and we are ready for further action, but hopefully won’t need it”.

expert Opinion

the Dmitry Novikov, a specialist on Russian-American relations and U.S. foreign policy, believes that the current situation will negatively affect relations of Russia and America and collaboration space will rapidly shrink:

– Discrediting the regime of Bashar al-Assad, trump beats and across Russia, as the sponsor and patron of Assad and his actions. You can say that all hope about improving relations with America since the arrival of trump, now completely vanished. The administration of the tramp moves to the foreign mainstream, established under Obama – the opposition of Russia”.

the Dmitry Suslov, Deputy Director of the faculty of world economy and international Affairs, expert on issues of Russian foreign policy, US foreign policy, Russian-American relations, relations between Russia and the European Union, especially for Hit.media:

– Critical strikes – a turning point in Russian-American relations. What Syria has seen both sides is the most promising direction of the cooperation, but now the Russian perception of the administration of the trump changes. The United States will be submitted to Russia a greater threat than Obama. These strikes have eliminated those positive features of American foreign policy, which stimulated Russia to improve relations with the United States. First and foremost, this positive factor was the failure of the new administration from the policies of regime change in Syria. Today, trump not only dealt a blow to Syria, but said that returns to our strong policy of overthrowing Assad.

Now the Russian-American relationship will teeter on the brink of direct war. Russia’s refusal of the Memorandum on the prevention of military clashes in Syria is already a step in this direction. Russia makes it clear that if the United States will continue to strike on Syrian territory, the Assad regime, Russia will just shoot down American planes and missiles.

I think that this will not happen, although to balance around that, we will. I think that in the end, the parties shall take any measures which would have prevented direct military confrontation. Moreover, the current Russian-American escalation against Syria will have effect also on other areas is likely to be an escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, where the United States is also noticeable a more assertive stance.

In my opinion, the next few months we will be in the most acute crisis in relations between Russia and the United States since the Cuban nuclear crisis in 1962.

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Sorry, this text was translated with Google machine. Mistakes and misunderstandings are possible!

What happened?

what judge Sokolowski?

What is the reaction of the accused?

Why Sokolovsky generally hunted in the temple?

How to relate to the ongoing social network users?

What is the “law on insulting the feelings of believers”?

expert Comments specifically for HIT.MEDIA:

expert Comments specifically for HIT.MEDIA:

read more:

Sorry, this text was translated with Google machine. Mistakes and misunderstandings are possible!

What happened?

draw

What was the reason?

Reaction of the world community

expert Opinion

What else to read?