Bozhe moi! New court ruling could outlaw online pornography in Russia

Century old laws have been used to justify a ruling from a Russian court that could reportedly lead to internet pornography being banned in the country.

A district court in Tartarsan has ordered Russia's federal communications agency to blacklist 136 adult-oriented sites for having a detrimental social effect, Vice has reported.

The court's decision stated the websites "create a threat of violations to federal law, harm the development of an unnamed group of children, can cause them to want to engage in prostitution and impel them to commit acts of violence against people, propagandize nontraditional sexual relations and foster disrespect toward parents and other family members, controverting family values".

As well as blocking native Russian websites such as Sex Breakfast and Pornosaurus, the ruling will also force the government to restrict access to overseas ones including American adult video website xHamster.

The court pointed to two international treaties signed by the Russian government in 1910 and 1923.

The Russian Empire signed the Agreement for the Repression of Obscene Publications in Paris in 1910 and the Soviet Union was a signatory to the Convention for the Suppression of the Circulation of, and Traffic in, Obscene Publications in Geneva in 1923.

However, the court ruled both still apply in Russia today, as the modern Russian Federation is politically regarded as a successor state to the Soviet Union.

Russian law also forbids the illegal distribution of pornography but does not clearly define what legal distribution entails.

Despite the legal and conservative opposition to pornography in the country, native adult film stars such as Sasha Grey are hugely popular figures.

Grey even figured in pro-Russian propaganda last year when it was falsely claimed she had been killed while working as a nurse in Ukraine.