Russia is being hit with a crime wave their cops can’t get a grip on.
“Police have launched a wave of investigations against young people, mainly women, … for taking partially nude or sexually suggestive photographs next to Russian landmarks,” the Guardian reported on Friday, November 5, 2021 (see story, but no evidence photos — sorry — here).
It seems to be a thing:
“At least four cases have been reported over the past week of police detaining, investigating or jailing Russians for photographs that have been posted online in front of the Kremlin walls, St Basil’s Cathedral, St Isaac’s Cathedral in St Petersburg and an ‘eternal flame’ dedicated to the history of the second world war,” the Guardian said.
As for details of these criminal acts, in one case,
“[A] couple has been sentenced to jail for 10 months for taking a photograph suggestive of oral sex in front of the distinctive onion domes of St Basil’s Cathedral [photo at left] in Moscow,” the Guardian said. They were convicted of “insulting believers’ feelings.” That wasn’t even a crime under communism; back then, believing was a crime. Has Putin found God? Is he born again?
In other cases,
” … women have been detained for flashing their buttocks or breasts in front of public landmarks or police stations.” This sure looks like a revolt against authority.
The Guardian noted, “The cases …i have often been pursued by conservative activists who have complained to the police.” Russia is more like Texas than we knew. Or maybe we should say Texas is more like Russia than we imagined.
No doubt U.S. and other western intelligence agencies are scrambling to suss out what it all means, but Putin’s overthrow probably isn’t imminent. More likely his wife (photo, left) is keeping him indoors and away from the windows.