Russian MPs have passed a package of laws that toughen penalties for “discrediting” the army, calls for sanctions against Russia, and cooperation with undesirable international organizations to the authorities. In addition, the State Duma authorized the trial in absentia of Russians who have left the country for 20 types of crimes and expanded the criteria for designating individuals as “foreign agents”. The stated purpose of this legislative package is to “protect the sovereignty” of the country.<\/p>\n
Thus, “discrediting” the army (Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code) and supporting international organizations in which Russia is not a member (Article 284.3), “for material reasons or for payment”, will be punished with up to seven years in prison. If the citizen has the same motivation and calls for sanctions to be imposed (Article 284.2), they risk up to five years of detention. In all three cases, confiscation of property is also provided. An important change is the elimination of the need for a prior administrative sanction for “discrediting” the army or calls for sanctions: authorities will be able to open criminal cases directly.<\/p>\n
The second draft law allows for the trial in absentia of citizens who have left Russia, for charges such as “discrediting” the army, spreading “fake news” about war, “rehabilitating Nazism”, “profaning graves and military monuments”. The same provisions apply to those who call for terrorism, extremism, separatism, mass riots, starting an aggressive war, violating Russia’s territorial integrity, imposing sanctions; those who refuse to fulfill their obligations as “foreign agents” or participate in activities or funding of an “undesirable organization”.<\/p>\n
Read more HERE.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Russian MPs have passed a package of laws that toughen penalties for “discrediting” the army, calls for sanctions against Russia, and cooperation with undesirable international organizations to the authorities. In addition, the State Duma authorized the trial in absentia of Russians who have left the country for 20 types of crimes and expanded the criteria<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":83050,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1135],"tags":[8929,9459,9460,1146,9461,9446],"class_list":{"0":"post-86835","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-foreign-affairs-en","8":"tag-russians","9":"tag-collaboration","10":"tag-international-ong","11":"tag-rusia-en","12":"tag-infraction","13":"tag-state-duma"},"yoast_head":"\n