The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has signed a law that introduces criminal liability, with penalties of up to 8 years in prison, for the falsification and sale of medical certificates attesting the absence of dangerous diseases. The document has been published on the official legal information portal.
The law supplements the Penal Code with a new article — 235.2 (“Forgery and circulation of official documents regarding the absence of diseases that pose a danger to the population”).
According to the document, penalties of up to 4 years in prison and fines ranging from 500,000 to 1 million rubles (approximately 5,400–10,800 euros) are stipulated for the forgery, sale, purchase, storage or transportation of false medical certificates.
If it’s about a certificate confirming the absence of a dangerous infectious disease, the punishment can reach up to 5 years in prison, and the fine — up to 1.5 million rubles (about 16,200 euros).
In aggravating circumstances — the use of the internet, the abuse of an official position, acting in a group or to conceal another crime — the punishment increases to up to 6 years in prison and fines between 1 and 2 million rubles (approximately 10,800–21,600 euros).
The most severe penalty, between 4 and 8 years of imprisonment and a fine ranging from 1.5 to 3 million rubles (approximately 16,200–32,400 euros), is stipulated for the falsification of certificates by organized groups or in cases where the act led to mass infection of the population or other serious consequences.
Details, HERE