Minecraft is one of the best digital reflections of our creativity. There are no rules in this environment, which is ideal for creating the structures you want in an endless world and even for experimenting. We all have a free time in Minecraft, but three young Siberians have overdone it. Teens who exploded the building, which was created as an exact replica of the Russian Government Building in Minecraft, were sentenced to prison in real life.
Teenagers playing Minecraft were tried as if they were receiving terror training
According to the news in the Moscow Times, the teenagers who blew up the Russian Government Building in Minecraft were considered as receiving terror training by the court. Two of the three young people received suspended sentences, while one was sentenced to 5 years in prison. After the young people’s phones were searched by the police, videos about making Molotov cocktails were also found.
Sentenced to 5 years in prison, Nikita Uvarov defended himself in court using the following statements:
I had a desire to learn new physics I loved learning about chemistry, biology, various famous scientists; I also watched scientific and educational programs. I am not a terrorist. I am not guilty. I just want to finish my school, get an education and go somewhere far from here, where I won’t bother anyone from the special services.
In this interesting incident, although the defense of the youth argues that what they did was for an education that has nothing to do with terrorism, the court has not given a decision in favor of the youth at the moment. It is also a matter of debate whether blowing up the building in a game like Minecraft can really be reconciled with terror training.
Do you think young people deserve a prison sentence? What are your thoughts?