Russian court fines news website 800,000 rubles for ‘drug propaganda’ because of an interview with a libertarian

A court in Syktyvkar has imposed an 800,000-ruble ($12,570) fine on the website 7x7 for publishing in its blogs section an interview with the libertarian activist Mikhail Svetov, where he argued that synthetic drugs are “more effective killers” than heroin. Experts at Russia’s federal media censor determined that Svetov’s comments constitute illegal drug propaganda.

The court also fined 7x7 chief editor Sofia Krapotkina 40,000 rubles. The website’s director, Pavel Andreev, says the penalty is an “act of censorship” intended to force the publication to shut down for providing a platform to “people with different views.”