In June, the Ukrainian parliament made possession of porn- like, any and all- illegal without a prescription.

I know what you’re thinking. What in the hell condition would require a prescription for porn? I think I have it. What is the dosage? Does my insurance cover it? Is there a co-pay…

But seriously, someone should contact Amnesty International. According to The Register, possession of all porn is punishable by a fine of about £69 (heh heh heh) or three years in jail. That’s not even just the really freaky-freaky stuff. Any porn can land you in the big house under new laws. As quoted in the piece, it comes down to the eternal “definition of porn” problem:

“Pornography is vulgar, candid, cynical, obscene depiction of sexual acts, pursuing no other goal, the explicit demonstration of genitals, unethical elements of the sexual act, sexual perversions, realistic sketches that do not meet moral criteria and offend honour and dignity of the human by inciting low instincts.”

So why the sudden legislation? The linked article suggests that it may be an attempt to get in good with us puritanical Westerners, citing a 2004 push in UK parliament:

Back in the UK, in May 2004, Labour MP David Lepper boasted in parliament of how he and a number of fellow MP’s, concerned by the Graham Coutts case, had put forward a five-point plan to Ministers for controlling extreme porn. The five points were:

• Persuading internet service providers, search engine companies and web hosting companies to block access to extreme porn
• Criminalising the possession of extreme porn
• Better international co-operation in dealing with extreme images on the internet
• A souped up role for Ofcom
• Requiring credit card companies to put a financial squeeze on the providers of extreme images

This plan was received favourably by then Home Secretary, David Blunkett, who raised it in discussion with his counterparts in the United States. The same issues were then raised with countries in the G8 and Europe.

Whatever the reasons are that prompted the new law-, hello, no porn! Why is there not more global outcry over this?