You would think if someone would go to jail for playing Pokemon Go, it would be because you hacked into a server and then you posted how you can cheat your way into capturing Pokemon. But apparently in Russia, you could be punished for playing the game in a church and then posting about it. That is what happened to blogger Ruslan Sokolovsky who was found guilty of insulting religious believers and inciting hatred. He was given a three-and-a-half year suspended sentence for his “crime.”
He was “relieved” that he only got a suspended sentence and so he will not actually be going to prison. He is being punished for posting a video last year of him playing Pokemon Go in a local Orthodox Church. He did so as a sort of protest or statement about the warnings issued that playing the augmented reality game would have legal consequences. “Who could get offended if you’re just walking around with your smartphone in a church?” Sokolovsky said on the video he posted.
He was also found guilty of “illegal trafficking of special technical equipment” when they found a pen with a built-in video camera in his house when his house was searched. Sokolovsky already apologized to religious believers for his actions. He admits that the video he posted may have been “too cynical for Russian society.”
While Pokemon Go may not be as ubiquitous as it is now, back then it was a pretty huge worldwide phenomena, with various brands and establishments getting in on the action. But not everyone was happy with people going around with their smartphones out and looking for pokemon to catch. The Russian Orthodox Church was one of those who disapproved, hence this case and the subsequent verdict meted out to the blogger.
VIA: BBC
