A Russian teenager was reportedly fined 10,000 roubles (£103) for leaving an abusive comment on a social media post about the Taliban after Moscow hosted the Afghan movement’s leaders in a push to strengthen diplomatic ties.
Yegor A, 19, was fined by a court in Rostov-on-Don on 5 June, according to Meduza, a news outlet reporting on Russia, which cited a Telegram channel called Ostorozhno Novosti as the source.
A screenshot of Mr Yegor’s comment on VK, a Russian social media platform, showed that it was made under a post stating that “the Taliban will flood Russia with grenades, raisins, Coca-Cola, carpets, and cotton”.
Mr Yegor commented: “What the f*** are they doing in Russia, cave-dwelling f******?”
The Independent was unable to verify the authenticity of the original post or Mr Yegor’s comment.
The comment, the court ruled, amounted to incitement of ethnic hatred.
Prosecutors also flagged two other posts by Mr Yegor calling for violence against migrants in the country, Meduza reported, adding that the defendant pleaded guilty to the charges and expressed remorse.
Russia, unlike many Western countries, recognises the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan. Its Supreme Court lifted the group’s “terrorist” designation in April last year.
The designation, imposed in 2003, made any contact with the Taliban punishable under Russian law.
Since the ruling, Russian officials have been emphasising the need to engage with the Taliban to help stabilise Afghanistan.
This has led to invitations for Taliban leaders to attend various forums hosted by Russia.
In May, Afghan defence minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob travelled to Moscow for the high-level “International Security Forum” and went on to sign a first-of-its-kind agreement with Russia to repair and restore Afghanistan’s Soviet-era weaponry.
The two countries are also ramping up bilateral trade, with Afghanistan exporting soft drinks, spices and dry fruits, among other goods, according to Russian ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov.
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