Russia State Duma initiates bill to sanction misinformation about army

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 Jan 2024 14:23

The bill seeks to authorize the confiscation of personal property as a sanction for the dissemination of misinformation about the Russian army and activities that are antagonistic to the country's government.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a session prior to voting for constitutional amendments at the State Duma, the Lower House of the Russian Parliament in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. (AP)

The Russian lower house, the State Duma, has initiated a bill that seeks to authorize the confiscation of personal property as a sanction for the dissemination of misinformation about the Russian army and activities that are antagonistic to the country's government.

The legislative proposal, disclosed on Monday through the State Duma's database, was jointly sponsored by the State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and Deputy Speaker Irina Yarovaya, and enjoyed the support of the leaders of major Russian parties, factions, and other lawmakers.

The primary objective of the bill is safeguarding Russia's defense capability and constitutional order, according to the document.

To counteract the financing of crimes and other activities perceived as threats to the nation's security, the bill suggests an augmentation to the criminal code, introducing a mechanism for the confiscation of money, valuables, and other property either used or intended for financing such activities.

Notably, the proposed legislation also outlines an escalation in criminal liability for public calls to engage in activities that threaten the country's national security. This includes instances motivated by selfish reasons or remuneration, as well as those driven by political, ideological, racial, national, religious animosity, or animosity towards any social group.

Furthermore, the bill recommends categorizing all sabotage crimes as offenses against Russia's security and advocates for the removal of state awards from convicts.

The line of reasoning behind the legislative initiative comes from key entities such as the Russian Investigative Committee, the Prosecutor General's Office, the Justice Ministry, and the Federal Service for Financial Monitoring.