Russian lawmakers have condemned the British online satirical magazine Vive Charlie for publishing a caricature of the nanny who murdered a four-year-old girl in Moscow, Kommersant reported Friday.
Olga Batalina, State Duma representative for the United Russia party, wrote on Facebook “to mock the tragic death of a young girl is a malicious and cynical prank.”
“If the moral immunity of Europeans has not been jeopardized, they would reject this publication like a strong and healthy organism rids itself of tumors and boils,” she said, Kommersant reported.
Lawmaker Irina Yarovaya wrote on Russian social media network Vkontakte that such publications “stoke the fire of hatred for new crimes.”
“When cynical artists make fun of the victim and the insanity of this tragedy, it is a mirror to their own psyche, which, most likely is no different from that of the criminal,” she said, Kommersant reported.
Earlier on Thursday, the drawing that Moscow's Communist Party used to illustrate their call for tough anti-immigration measures was criticized for “inciting ethnic conflicts” by State Duma lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party Oleg Pakholkov, Kommersant daily reported.
The image shows a woman in a hijab brandishing a severed head with the label “Forbidden” under an article on illegal immigration.
Pakholkov, who sits on the Duma's committee for the Commonwealth of Independent States affairs, appealed to Prosecutor General Yury Chaika to investigate the Communists' post, Kommerant reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
