Another anti-extremist tightening

On April 18, 2007, the State Duma adopted in the third (final) reading amendments to the legislation of the Russian Federation, tightening punishment for extremist crimes. Deputies considered two bills in the second and third readings and adopted them.

The first - N 292654-4 “On amendments to Articles 214 and 244 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and Article 20.3 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses” (on the issue of improving criminal legislation and legislation on administrative offenses in terms of countering extremism) was initiated a year ago by the Government RF.

According to it, Article 214 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Vandalism) was supplemented with a second part, which reads:

*"The same acts committed by a group of persons, as well as motivated by ideological, political, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity, -

shall be punishable by restriction of liberty for a term of up to three years or imprisonment for a term of up to three years.""*

In Art. 244 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in the second part, the maximum sentence was increased from 3 to 5 years of imprisonment.

Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (Propaganda of Nazi symbols) has been supplemented with part 2:

""2. Manufacturing, selling or purchasing for the purpose of selling Nazi paraphernalia or symbols or paraphernalia or symbols confusingly similar to Nazi paraphernalia or symbols, aimed at their propaganda - entails the imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of ten to twenty-five times the minimum wage. with confiscation of the subject of the administrative offense; for officials - from twenty to fifty times the minimum wage with confiscation of the subject of the administrative offense; for legal entities - from two hundred to one thousand minimum wages with confiscation of the subject of the administrative offense." (the amendment introduced at the meeting on April 18 is highlighted in bold - ed.)

The law was signed by the President and came into force on May 10, 2007.

The second law - N 107157-4 "On amendments to Article 13 of the Federal Law "On Combating Extremist Activities", adopted by the State Duma in the first reading in January 2007, was initiated by the People's Assembly of the Republic of Dagestan in November 2004, which included significant changes was not entered.

To avoid confusion , we emphasize that these bills are not related to another legislative initiative related to the tightening of anti-extremist legislation - a bill submitted for consideration to the State Duma on February 28, 2007 by a group of deputies, although they overlap with it thematically.

Sources

• Report on the meeting of the State Duma on April 18, 2007 // Official website of the State Duma.
• Federal Law "On Amendments to Articles 214 and 244 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and Article 20.3 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offences" // Automated system for ensuring legislative activity of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. 2007. B.d.
• Federal Law “On Amendments to Article 13 of the Federal Law “On Combating Extremist Activities” // Automated system for ensuring legislative activity of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. 2007. B.d.
• Bill card // Ibid.