Criminal case launched into Russian pro-suicide social media group

A group on Vkontakte, Russia’s leading social network, is being accused of encouraging teen suicide. A criminal case against the owners of the group has been launched in St. Petersburg, a statement published by the Russian Investigative Committee said Friday.

If found guilty of promoting suicide, those involved may face up to five years imprisonment.

The Novaya Gazeta newspaper published an article about private pro-suicide groups on Russian social network VKontakte on Monday. The groups have led to the deaths of 130 minors between November 2015 and April 2016, the report claimed.