Pokemon Go: Russian Blogger Faces 5-Year Jail Term for Playing in Church

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By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 6 September 2016 16:47 IST

A young Russian blogger has been charged with inciting hatred and offending religious sensibilities after filming himself playing Pokemon Go in a Yekaterinberg cathedral.

Ruslan Sokolovski is in detention for two months, a statement by the investigative committee said Saturday, and could face a five-year jail term if convicted.

On August 11, Sokolovski published a video on his YouTube channel showing him entering the Church of All Saints in Yekaterinburg and playing Pokemon Go on his iPhone throughout the cathedral.

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"How can one offend by entering a church with a smartphone?" he said.

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But investigators said searches on his home had shown evidence of incitement to hatred and attacks on the liberty of faith.

Authorities worldwide have issued a slew of warnings since the hugely popular smartphone app was launched in July.

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It has already been blamed for a wave of crimes, traffic violations and complaints in cities around the globe.

The free app uses satellite locations, graphics and camera capabilities to overlay cartoon monsters on real-world settings, challenging players to capture and train the creatures for battles.

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Pokemon has been popular in Japan since first being launched as software in 1996 for Nintendo's iconic Game Boy console.

 

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Further reading: Pokemon Go, Pokemon, Niantic, Nintendo, Gaming, Apps
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