Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on Friday a law regarding sentencing individuals to life in prison for high treason, according to the official legal information portal.

Amendments are being made to Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code "High Treason". Individuals will face a life sentence for espionage, the issuance of information to foreigners constituting a state secret, defecting to the enemy, or providing financial, logistical, consulting, or other assistance to the state in activities directed against Russia.

Previously, the law established liability in the form of imprisonment for up to 20 years with a fine of up to 500,000 rubles ($6300).

This comes after a US journalist working for The Wall Street Journal was arrested in Russia on charges of spying for Washington.

The FSB security services pointed out that they had "halted the illegal activities of US citizen Evan Gershkovich," specifying that The Wall Street Journal reporter was "suspected of spying in the interests of the American government."

Russian news agencies reported that Moscow formally charged US journalist Evan Gershkovich with espionage, adding that he had denied the indictment.

Evan Gershkovich was arrested in April after he was caught by Russia’s Federal Security Service while trying to obtain information classified as secret by the Russian government.

Putin toughens liability for sabotage, terrorism

Putin signed a law on toughening criminal liability for sabotage and terrorism, according to the official legal information portal.

The law has made sabotage punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Moreover, responsibility for a number of anti-terrorism articles of the Criminal Code is being strengthened. 

Liability for committing terrorist attacks will also be increased, the maximum sentence for committing such actions is proposed to be increased to 20 years.

Putin also signed a law on imprisonment of up to 5 years for assisting in the execution of international organizations' decisions that contradict Russia's laws.

This comes months after a truck exploded on the motorway section of the Crimean Bridge from the Taman Peninsula.

The attack caused seven fuel tanks of a train traveling to the Crimean peninsula to go up in flames. Two motorway sections of the bridge have partially collapsed.

Moreover, Russia had key natural gas pipelines blown up last year. The explosions occurred on September 26 at three of the four strings of Nord Stream 1 and 2 underwater pipelines, which are designed to transport a total of 110 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe each year.

Additionally, Russian journalist Vladlen Tatarsky was brutally assassinated earlier in April in a cafe located in St. Petersburg, Russia. Tatarsky was a war correspondent and an ex-fighter military man in the Donbass region.

It seems that an explosive device was brought to the cafe by a young woman who had a statuette in a box, meant as a gift to Tatarsky.

Read next: Russia: Ukrainian Special Services behind Tatarsky assassination

Public procurement procedures simplified

Moreover, the Russian president signed a law on the simplification of public procurement procedures.

The law is aimed at improving the procedure for such purchases, increasing the efficiency of meeting state and regional needs, and saving time for customers.