Russian Who Played Pokémon Go in Church Is Convicted of Inciting Hatred<br />Mr. Sokolovsky’s behavior and his anti-religious videos manifested a "disrespect for society," Judge Shoponyak said in televised remarks, and he "intended to offend religious sentiments." Judge Shoponyak noted<br />that the defendant was on trial not only for playing the game in the church but also for posting several videos that had offended people.<br />The blogger, Ruslan Sokolovsky, 22, filmed himself in August as he played the smartphone game — an augmented reality environment in which users try<br />to capture pocket monsters — in a Yekaterinburg church built on the spot where the last Russian czar and his family were said to have been killed.<br />Judge Yekaterina Shoponyak convicted Mr. Sokolovsky, who had been in detention since October, of inciting religious<br />hatred, the same offense for which two women from the protest band Pussy Riot were sent to prison in 2012.<br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 11, 2017<br />MOSCOW — A Russian blogger was convicted on Thursday of inciting religious hatred by playing Pokémon Go in a church and posting a video of it online.<br />She said the video was a "mockery of the Immaculate Conception," included "denial of the existence of Jesus<br />and the Prophet Muhammad" and gave "an offensive description of Patriarch Kirill" of the Russian Orthodox Church.<br />Speaking after the verdict, Mr. Sokolovsky thanked reporters for having covered the trial and for drawing attention to his case, saying<br />that without it, "I would probably have been sent to prison." Please verify you’re not a robot by clicking the box.
