The Ministry of Justice has given examples of “force majeure circumstances” under which it proposes to forgive cases of corruption

The Ministry of Justice gave examples of “force majeure circumstances” in which it was proposed that officials not be punished for violating anti-corruption legislation.

The department believes that such circumstances include living in single-industry towns, certain areas of the Far North and other remote and sparsely populated regions. There, for objective reasons, it is not always possible to avoid a conflict of interest between officials and their relatives, the Ministry of Justice stated.

"In addition, former members of a civil servant's family do not always agree to provide information about the income and expenses of their common children. There are also cases where non-compliance with anti-corruption prohibitions and requirements is associated with a long-term serious illness," the department added.

• Earlier, a notice appeared on the portal of draft regulatory legal acts that the Ministry of Justice was developing a bill that would allow cases of corruption that occurred due to “force majeure” not to be considered an offense.
• The notice did not specify what was proposed to be considered "force majeure circumstances." The Justice Ministry said the bill itself would be published later, after public discussion had ended.