In Russia, additional restrictions on participation in the elections may be introduced

In Russia, additional restrictions on participation in the elections may be introduced - the Public Chamber made the initiative to refuse to register candidates and parties or associations for an extremist nature.

The appeal of members of the Public Chamber to the deputies of the State Duma and members of the Federation Council says that the Federal Law "On Combating Extremist Activities" is outdated and no longer fully complies with the threats that the state and society are facing.

According to the initiators of the appeal, it is necessary to clearly determine the meaning of the very concept of "extremism" and expand the list of actions that fall under this definition. In addition, in their opinion, it is necessary to make obstacles to the current legislation that would prevent the authorities from entering the authorities and parties conducting extremist activities and using extremist vocabulary in their speeches: either immediately refuse them to register in the elections, or cancel it in the future.

"Extremism becomes an obstacle to the achievement of civil consent, strengthening democratic values ​​and ensuring security. It is necessary to counteract this. Moreover, the most decisive actions," the authors say.

"Investigative laws must be subjected to examination. It is necessary to develop and adopt federal and regional laws and other regulatory legal acts in the field of ethnocultural and migration policy, counteracting extremism," the appeal said.

Its authors propose to amend the legislation of the Russian Federation in the field of counteracting extremist activities and electoral legislation, Interfax reports. "Due to the existing gaps in the legislation, public activities of persons are possible, including the media and the international Internet, which, perhaps, do not directly call for extremist activities, but encourage its implementation or allowing extremist acts," the document says.

"At the same time, the authors of the publication, as well as persons involved in the manufacture of such materials, are not recognized by persons who carried out extremist activities, and practically cannot be held accountable," the appeal emphasizes.

Among the signing, in particular, the secretary of the Public Chamber, Academician Yevgeny Velikhov, lawyer Anatoly Kucheren and director Alexander Kalyagin.