Watchdog

The upper chamber of Russia's parliament has passed a bill that would decriminalize some forms of domestic violence.

The Federation Council on February 1 passed the bill, which would categorize as administrative offenses cases of domestic violence that result in pain but not bodily harm.

Dubbed the "slapping law," the bill would affect parents who strike their children and people who strike their spouses or partners. In the event of any danger to the victim's health or in the case of repeat offenses, the perpetrator would face criminal charges.

Under the new measure, first-time administrative offenses would be punishable by a fine of up to 30,000 rubles ($500), detention up to 15 days, or 120 hours of community service.

Supporters of the measure say it is intended to prevent unwarranted interference by the state in domestic matters.

The lower chamber of parliament, the State Duma, adopted the measure last week.

It now must be signed by President Vladimir Putin, who has expressed his support for the initiative.

With reporting by TASS

SAMARA, Russia -- A Russian court has convicted a youth activist of terrorism-related offenses for a social-media post praising the mass killing at a gay nightclub in Florida last year, but declined to sentence him to prison.

Prosecutors had recommended a three-year prison sentence for Ramil Ibragimov, who was found guilty of "public calls for terrorism and justifying terrorist activities" by a military court in the Volga River city of Samara on February 1.

The judge fined Ibragimov 50,000 rubles ($830) and ordered the confiscation of the mobile phone he used to make the post.

In the June 14 Instagram post, Ibragimov -- the head of Tatarstan's Union of Young Leaders of Innovations -- expressed support for the killing of people he referred to as "fags."

In vulgar language, he expressed regret that injured survivors of the attack "did not croak."

The post came two days after gunman Omar Mateen fatally shot 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Ibragimov acknowledged the post but pleaded not guilty.