The Moscow police have recorded an 86 percent rise in online extremism in the first half of 2016, compared to the same period last year, the Interfax news agency reported.
Anatoly Yakunin, the head of Moscow's Interior Ministry announced that all forms of extremist crimes had risen 25 percent in the first half of the year but that the 86 percent rise in online extremism caused particular concern.
Yakunin told journalists in March that combating extremism would be the Moscow police’s highest priority in 2016.
Deputy head of Russia’s Interior Ministry, Vladimir Markov in March explained that nationwide rises in extremist crime do not represent a worsening in the situation, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
“In fact the situation has become more stable” he said.
Markov put the rise in extremist crime down to “new crimes concerning online extremism coming into force, as well as increased police surveillance online and increased competency of police officers and investigators in this field.”
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