Article 129 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation interprets libel as false information, discrediting the honor and dignity of a person. Naturally, a number of punishments are provided for such a crime, depending on the severity of the damage inflicted.
The severity of the guilt of the slanderer can be proved with the help of the collected evidence. The more there are, and the fuller they are, the more chances that the offender will receive a real punishment.
In a simple case, if the damage was not too great, the accuser may be fined 80,000 rubles. or equal to the income of the convicted person for 6 months. If the criminal is unable to fulfill these financial obligations, he may be obliged to do community service for a period of 120-180 hours. The extreme punishment for this offense is correctional labor for a period of one year.
If false and defamatory information occurs in public speeches or any media, the punishment will be harsher. So, for example, the amount of the fine increases and amounts to 125,000 rubles. If it is calculated on the basis of the convict's salary, then the amount will be calculated for the year. Public works will take the detractor from 180 to 240 hours. The term of correctional labor is increased to 2 years. In addition, a variant of punishment appears - imprisonment for a term from a quarter to six months.
In the event that libel extended to an official and was information about an official crime, the punishment will be as serious as possible. The amount of the fine reaches 300,000 rubles, the total income of the convict will be calculated for 2 years. Alternatively, the slanderer can be restricted in freedom for 3 years, arrest for 4-6 months, or imprisonment for 3 years is also expected.
The case must be considered at a court hearing of general jurisdiction. The verdict, like any other, can be appealed within 10 days in a higher court. However, if the accused gets a competent lawyer, he will help not to bring the case to the end even at the first hearing. This is due to the fact that the fact of slander is very difficult to prove. First, it must be distinguished from the usual insult, which is not subject to criminal punishment. Secondly, there are a number of reasons why the slanderer simply cannot be brought to justice.
