Leader of North Ossetia prevents public outcry after teenagers’ jokes about SMO

The authorities of North Ossetia publicly reprimanded parents of the teenagers, who recorded a comic video about the special military operation (SMO), in order to defuse the situation and prevent attacks by SMO supporters on their children or on the parents themselves, bloggers believe.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on March 11, the press service for the leader of North Ossetia released the apologies voiced by the parents of the teenagers who recorded the video mocking those mobilized. Some social media users sympathized with the parents, while others demanded that the teenagers be publicly punished.

A meeting between the parents of the teenagers who recorded the video and Sergey Menyailo, the leader of North Ossetia, is rather a way to stop the development of the case, believes blogger Batraz Misikov, an author of the “Sidamon” Telegram channel.

“I don’t rule out that the parents themselves could ask the authorities for such a format, as the presence of Sergey Menyailo provides a guarantee against repression from the state,” the blogger suggested.

The public apologies will help calm down those who threaten the teenagers who filmed the video, believes blogger Batraz Tigiev, an author of the “Book of Complaints” Telegram channel. “Hot heads will see the report, the remorseful and crying parents, and maybe they will cool down,” the blogger explained.

The video, which was recorded by the teenagers, raises the question of the younger generation’s attitude towards the special military operation (SMO), blogger Batraz Misikov believes. “This is a ‘rebellious’ period in a person’s life, and it does not fit well with any public regulations,” the blogger noted.

Blogger Batraz Tigiev regards the video as a very bad joke, which does not relieve its authors of responsibility.

The threats voiced on the Internet must be taken seriously, blogger Batraz Misikov believes.

Blogger Batraz Tigiev also suggests that the threats to the authors of the video should be perceived as potentially real and that the teenagers are in danger, taking into account current realities.

*On March 21, 2022, the Tverskoi Court of Moscow banned the activities in Russia of the Meta Company, owning the Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, in connection with extremist activities.