The State Duma in the second and third readings adopted amendments on fakes about the actions of Russian officials and security forces abroad

The State Duma, in one meeting, in the second and third readings, adopted amendments that provide for criminal liability for fakes about the work of Russian authorities abroad. This was reported on the website of the lower house of parliament.

According to the press release, for “public dissemination, under the guise of reliable messages, of knowingly false information containing data on the exercise by state bodies of the Russian Federation of their powers outside the territory of the Russian Federation in order to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, maintaining international peace and security,” will face a fine from 700 thousand rubles to one and a half million rubles or imprisonment for up to three years.

The maximum penalty under the amendments is 15 years in prison. Thus, they will be punished under the clauses of the article that involve the use of official position, “selfish motives” or “motives of political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity” if they entail “grave consequences.”

“After the amendments come into force, criticism of the work of any Russian civil servants outside the Russian Federation may serve as grounds for criminal prosecution,” explained the lawyers of the Network Freedoms project.

Amendments to the law on “fakes” about the Russian military (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code) were prepared by members of United Russia - senators Andrei Turchak and Andrei Klishas, ​​as well as deputies Irina Pankina and Vasily Piskarev.

On March 4, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree punishing up to 15 years in prison for fake news about the Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine. The State Duma and the Federation Council adopted the bill earlier in the day.