Over the course of a year, at least 176 Ukrainians were convicted for ‘likes’ on ‘Odnoklassniki,’ ‘VKontakte,’ and other social networks

In Ukraine, people continue to be punished for “likes” on Russian social media platforms at the level of sentences typically associated with theft, murder, or rape.

Over the course of a year, at least 176 Ukrainians have been convicted for giving “likes” on platforms such as “Odnoklassniki,” “Vkontakte,” and other Russian social networks.

According to a BBC report, the majority of those convicted are either unemployed or retirees who had no prior legal issues.

They have learned how to give “likes,” but they do not always realize that on most platforms, such approval automatically shares the content on their own profiles. This turns them from mere readers into disseminators. Giving a “like” to pro-Russian posts about the war can result in sentences ranging from 1 to 5 years.

Here are some statistics:

• 99 convictions from March to September 2022.
• 176 convictions from October 2022 to September 2023.

In 90% of cases, the defendants admit their guilt, reach an agreement with the prosecution, and receive suspended sentences instead of imprisonment.

Some retirees have received actual 5-year sentences for giving a “like,” which is comparable to the sentences for theft, murder, or rape.

To remind you, in early September 2023, the Priluki city district court in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine found an elderly woman guilty of glorifying Russia’s armed aggression. According to the court’s materials, while at her home, the woman used the social network “Odnoklassniki” and liked posts that were automatically displayed on her news feed to her 178 friends. In this way, the accused woman shared three publications. The content of these publications is not quoted in the public text of the verdict.