Russian Blogger Ivan Peregorodiev Arrested for Pneumonic Plague Rumors

If it can happen in Russia, it can happen here in the United States especially considering that Remixx World! has covered this alleged on-going Ukrainian pneumonic plague outbreak. It turns out that a 22-year old blogger named Ivan Peregorodiev has been arrested for disseminating false information and terrorism charges. There is either free speech or there is not. It is one thing to yell fire in a crowded movie theater (note: this type of speech is regulated), but it is another to arrest someone for discussing rumors on the Internet (or Internets if you are former President George W. Bush).

I have not yet read what Mr. Peregorodiev wrote, so perhaps his blogs rise to level of yelling fire in a crowded theater. However, it seems very unlikely to me that this would be the case and this appears to be a case of using criminal laws to stifle free speech. You can read the rest of this story at Global Voices Advocacy.

Ivan Peregorodiev, a 22-year-old medical student and blogger, has been arrested on December 3 for spreading rumors about pneumonic plague in the city of Saratov. Authorities accused him of disseminating false information related to an act of terrorism.

On December 2, the Russian bloggers actively discussed allegations that a large population of Saratov had been infected with H1N1 virus. The rumors said that authorities concealed many fatalities caused by the swine flu and the whole city was about to be closed for quarantine [RUS]. Later, people started talking about alleged cases of pneumonic plague blaming them on a local “anti-plague” research institute. The situation became so serious that Saratov Governor Pavel Ipatov [ENG] interrupted his visit to Belarus and returned to the city to deal with public outcry.

Source: Global Voices Advocacy