Identifying the Signs of the AUE Extremist Organization: Linguo-Criminological and Socio-Psychological Aspects

Abstract

In a number of Internet sources, including Wikipedia, and even in some scientific papers, the role of AUE organization ([Ares’tantskoe urka’ganskoe e’dinstvo] – “Prisoner unity” or [Ares’tantskij uk’lad e’din] – “Unified prisoner order”) is quite underestimated. There the AUE is reduced exclusively to the pranks of teenagers aged 13-17 who merely imitate the criminal environment in form, but not in essence. From such explanations it is impossible to understand why this organization has been declared extremist and its activities are prohibited at the state level. Moreover, public danger of the AUE and harmful influence on one’s social adaptive processes remain unclear. The materials considered prove, that the AUE movement is highly destructive. The article reveals the origins and principles of existence of the banned AUE organization, the features of its structural organization, and presents an expanded list of criteria for this criminal extremist community. The authors also provide examples of characteristic words and expressions that mark one’s belonging to the AUE. The specific features of citizens belonging to the AUE organization, their social and speech activities identified by the authors contribute to the qualification of controversial materials and texts as extremist and can be used by law enforcement practitioners involved in identifying such facts.