Following amendments to the Constitution, the State Duma decided to partially decriminalize calls for separatism

Chairman of the Committee on State Building and Legislation Pavel Krasheninnikov prepared amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences, the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Code, according to the State Duma website.

The amendments were prepared “as part of the implementation of the adopted provisions of the Constitution on the protection of territorial integrity.”

In particular, it is proposed to introduce criminal liability for calls for separatism only after a repeated offense committed within a year. If calls for separatism are made for the first time, the person will face administrative liability: a fine of 30 to 60 thousand rubles.

Punishment under the criminal article already provides for a fine of up to 200 to 400 thousand rubles or imprisonment for up to four years.

In addition, it is proposed to supplement the Criminal Code with a new article 280.2 (violation of the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation), the punishment for which will be imprisonment for a term of six to 10 years.