Role of forensic examinations in proving extremist motives in the investigation of crimes in the field of extremist propaganda

Introduction: the article considers such a typical gap in the evidence base in criminal cases of crimes in the sphere of extremist propaganda as the establishment of extremist motivation in the actions of the accused, as well as its specification. Despite the fact that the establishment of crimes included in the content of a generic list of circumstances to be proved in accordance with article 73 of the code of criminal procedure, the investigation and judicial practice often is implemented by a formal approach, without proper in-depth analysis of criminal motivation. Being unacceptable for a number of acts, such an approach is particularly dangerous in relation to the investigation of extremist crimes, since it contributes to the incorrect resolution of the main issue of the investigation. Materials and methods: Empirical base of the study was the empirical analysis of the 167 criminal cases on crimes related to extremist propaganda (specified in articles 280, 282 of the criminal code), investigated in various regions of the Russian Federation...