The scope that video games currently have is not always synonymous with good news. More than just games, some titles have grown enough to become a complete platform, one where millions of users interact daily. Minecraft is the perfect example. Unfortunately, there are people who use the Mojang proposal for illicit activities that have nothing to do with gambling.
This week, Nikita Uvarov, a young Russian just 16 years old, was sentenced to five years in prison for organizing a terrorist attack in Minecraft. The aforementioned, according to the investigation, resorted to the game to plan an attack on a building of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia. We are talking about the main national security agency of the aforementioned country —formerly the KGB—. Therefore, the police took the case with all the importance it deserves.
Interestingly, it all started when they identified that Uvarov and a couple of friends were arrested in 2020 for putting up posters in support of an anarchist who attacked the offices of the United Russia party. This action was enough for the authorities to carry out a thorough investigation of those involved, which led to the seizure of their computers. It was at this time that it was discovered that, through Minecraft, they were organizing a terrorist attack.
How did they take advantage of Minecraft? According to the report, they built a building similar to that of the FSB and their plan was to blow it up. It was all part of an “entertainment”.
Training with real explosives
In fact, it is mentioned that Uvarov and his colleagues, the latter originally from Siberia, managed to carry out experiments with real explosives. The goal, of course, was to train for the attack. Although the defendants defended themselves by saying that the tests were done in empty fields and had no intention of causing damage, the excuse was not enough for the court. Furthermore, the evidence found in Minecraft and communication channels was sufficient to determine his crime.
The other two teenagers, thanks to their cooperation during the investigation, had their sentences of three and four years withdrawn. However, Uvarov, who pleaded not guilty and did not cooperate, kept his five-year sentence in a correctional facility on charges of “training for terrorist activities”. In his appearance in court, the defendant said that he received pressure from the authorities in the middle of the investigation and concluded his intervention by assuring: “I am not a terrorist.”
