Putin proposed adding an article to the Criminal Code on “occupying a higher position in the criminal hierarchy”

President Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma a bill to supplement the Criminal Code with Article 210.1 - occupying the highest position in the criminal hierarchy. The bill was published on the website of the lower house of parliament.

The proposed article of the Criminal Code provides for a punishment of 8 to 15 years in prison with a fine of up to 5 million rubles or in the amount of the convicted person’s salary or other income for a period of up to five years. Also, the court may not impose a fine at all.

In addition, the president proposed increasing the upper fine for creating an organized criminal community (Part 1 of Article 210 of the Criminal Code) to 5 million rubles.

According to the bill, Article 210 may be supplemented with Part 1.1 - participation in a meeting of organizers, managers (leaders) or other representatives of criminal communities and (or) organized groups for the purpose of committing crimes. The punishment for it can range from 12 to 20 years in prison with a fine of up to 1 million rubles. Today, responsibility for participation in a meeting of leaders of organized public organizations is prescribed in Part 1 of Article 210 of the Criminal Code, along with the creation of such a community.

In addition, the president proposes to increase the lower limit of punishment for participation in an organized crime group (Part 2 of Article 210 of the Criminal Code) from five to seven years in prison.

Putin's bill also expands the note to Article 210. Now it is clarified that not only a participant or leader of a criminal community who voluntarily stopped his activities and contributed to the detection of crimes can be released from criminal liability, but it is also clarified that this can be a person who has committed at least one of the crimes under Article 210, and information about an upcoming meeting of leaders or other representatives of the organized crime group may also be a condition for stopping the persecution.