Russian rapper convicted of “drug propaganda”

Russian rapper Alexei Dolmatov, widely known as Guf, has been fined for promoting drug use in his music.

Mr Dolmatov was sentenced to a fine of 4,500 rubles (approx. US$70) by a court in Krasnoyarsk, a city in Siberia. The songs are allowed to remain in distribution.

Under the Russian law against “drug propaganda”, material deemed to promote drug use is punishable by a maximum fine of 5,000 rubles (approx. US$78).

This is not the first time that Mr Dolmatov has fallen foul of the law in relation to drugs. In December last year he was detained on suspicion of drug use, while last month he spent six days in a detention centre when tests revealed traces of cocaine in his blood.

Source: The Moscow Times