MOSCOW, December 15 (RAPSI) – Chairman of Russia’s Presidential Council for Human Rights Valery Fadeyev believes that authors of defaming publications on the Internet must be punished with a fine but not with imprisonment.

According to Fadeyev, prison sentence in such cases is an excessive measure.

Earlier, a bill introducing prison sentence as punishment for online defamation was submitted to the State Duma. The draft law envisages imprisonment for up to 2 years for folk leasing. 

Current legislation stipulates fines of up to 1 million rubles (about $14,000 at the current exchange rate) or community service for up to 40 hours for defamation in media or public speech.