A BRITISH satirical magazine has been sent death threats after printing a story saying Vladimir Putin has a tiny todger.
The Daily Squib published a “tongue in cheek” article suggesting the Russian leader invaded Ukraine because he has a “micro penis”.
AFPThe magazine claimed in a jokey article that Putin, pictured in 2017, has a tiny todger[/caption]
ReutersPutin relaxes after fishing during the hunting and fishing trip in 2017[/caption]
AFPPutin taking part in training with Russia’s national judo team in 2019[/caption]
The editor, Aur Esenbel, claims writers at the 17-year-old site have since been told they would be stabbed, shot and run over for mocking the despot.
In a jokey editorial, “experts” said the debilitating impediment made Putin “constantly angry”.
It read: “You ever wonder why Putin is so angry and aggressive all the time?
“According to medical experts, it is because he has micropenis syndrome.
“It is common knowledge within the ranks that Putin’s penis measures 1.2cm in length even when erect.
“Psychologically, this impediment is presumed to affect his general nature as it is practically impossible to make love to a woman or carry out other functions normally.”
The story sparked fury from irate Russian readers, who vowed to murder the journalists involved.
In a string of terrifying website comments, reporters were told they would be shot, stabbed and run over for daring to mock the tyrant.
An investigation by The Daily Squib suggested the threats originated in Russia.
The magazine has since added additional security measures to its website and its writers no longer have direct email addresses to stop them being “harassed by overseas mobsters”.
The Daily Squib was also targeted in three separate Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks, which aim to cripple a website by overwhelming it with huge volumes of internet traffic.
Two of the attacks failed, but one was successful and took it offline for seven days.
Editor Aur Esenbel said: “Like all satirical news outlets, The Daily Squib is no stranger to criticism and the odd ‘strongly worded email’.
“But in the last couple of years, the hate mail has intensified and transformed into physical credible threats to our staff that we simply cannot ignore.”
The publication was previously bombarded with hate mail for its satirical ‘exclusives’ about Putin’s “penchant for fried eggs” and his preference for kinky sex.
But the physical threat to its journalists is now so great that the magazine could cease production later this year for their safety.
The Russian president during an ice hockey match in 2021Getty
AFPFitness-fanatic Putin works out in his home gym at his summer residence in Sochi in 2015[/caption]
The iconic picture of Putin riding a horse topless from 2009AFP
Writers have long received hate mail for poking fun at world leaders including Putin, China’s Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.
Editorials have previously teased Jinping about the “Chinese-engineered” Covid-19 virus and mocked Putin about his height and sexual appetite.
Another had a mock-up of Jong-un in a dress riding a pig, with the headline, ‘Kim Jong-un ‘No Longer Seen as God’ By North Koreans’.
But the magazine’s story entitled ‘EXPERTS: Putin Has Micropenis Syndrome’, which it published online in mid-2022, led to “direct, credible threats” to its operation.
In it, a make-believe psychologist from an imaginary Russian university offers a solution to the despot’s proposed disability: “Here at the university, we have fashioned a large rubber penis which he can overlay his micropenis.
“At least this way, when he walks around in one of his palaces he can look down and feel proud. In his mind, he will then not be so constantly angry, creating useless wars everywhere.”
ReutersRussian President Vladimir Putin fishes during a short vacation at an unknown location in Siberia in 2022[/caption]
AFP – GettyA happy Vlad fishing on another trip in 2007[/caption]
More than 20 online comments – in Russian and badly-spelled English – were posted on its website, many of which threatened the magazine’s staff with threats to kill and maim.
DoD attacks soon followed, and despite the magazine’s efforts, one managed to bypass security measures and overload its server.
An investigation by The Daily Squib suggested that the threats, and the cyber-attacks, originated in Russia and could be state-sponsored.
Esenbel has since added additional security measures to the website’s comments section to prevent others from using it as a “platform of hate”.
And his writers no longer have direct email addresses to save them from being “harassed by overseas mobsters”.
But if the magazine receives more credible threats this year, he has vowed to contact the police and says there is no option but to close the site down for good.
“We are living in a world where mocking anything is a dangerous business,” he said.
“Satirists have long been threatened with being ‘cancelled’, but it would appear they must now contend with being attacked and killed by state-sponsored mobsters, too.”
Getty – PoolVlad goes for a ride with Russia’s ‘Night Wolves’ biker gang in 2011[/caption]
NewsflashPutin watching an exercise of the country’s strategic deterrence forces via video conferencing in October 2013[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
