The State Duma adopted in the first reading a bill to confiscate property from those convicted under repressive articles and to deprive them of honorary titles. The relevant information is posted on the website of the Legislative Support System.
The document was submitted to the lower house of parliament on January 22. Only three deputies voted against its adoption in the first reading. Co-author of the initiative Andrei Lugovoi points out that the need for appropriate amendments is due to the fact that those convicted under such articles must not only “serve a little time in prison,” but also lose their property.
If the bill is adopted, the state will be able to seize property obtained as a result of committing crimes such as the dissemination of “fakes” about the army (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code) and calls for anti-state activities (Article 280.4 of the Criminal Code) - in both cases, “for selfish motives.” Memorial lawyer Maria Nemova pointed out that we could be talking, for example, about fees for journalists convicted under Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code. According to the document, “property intended to finance activities against the state” may also be subject to confiscation.
The document also proposes to expand the list of articles, due to persecution under which people can be deprived of awards, ranks and titles, it will include:
— public dissemination of deliberately false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Part 1 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code);
— public calls for extremist activities (Article 280 of the Criminal Code);
— public calls for actions aimed at violating the integrity of the Russian Federation (Article 280.1 of the Criminal Code);
— repeated “discredit” of the Russian Army (Part 1 of Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code);
— public calls to carry out activities directed against the security of the state (Part 1 of Article 280.4 of the Criminal Code);
- inciting hatred or enmity (Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code)
— organizing the activities of an “undesirable” organization or participating in such activities (parts 1 and 2 of Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code)
— calls for the introduction of sanctions against the Russian Federation and its citizens (Article 284.2 of the Criminal Code);
— providing assistance in the execution of decisions of international organizations that do not include Russia (Article 284.3 of the Criminal Code);
— rehabilitation of Nazism (Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code).
In addition, the authors of the bill want to expand the article on public calls for activities directed against the security of the state (Article 280.4 of the Criminal Code): if it is adopted, the criteria that will toughen the punishment under these articles will also be the commission of a crime for personal gain, for hire or for motives of hatred or enmity. In addition, it is proposed to make it possible to prosecute under this article in cases of calls for any activity qualified under articles on sabotage (Articles 281.1–281.3 of the Criminal Code).
- After the start of the war in Ukraine, the Russian authorities began to react sharply to protest sentiments. The list of articles under which those who oppose the war are prosecuted is quite wide. Those involved in “anti-war cases” are often charged with hooliganism, vandalism, violence against government officials, and other violations. A significant element of pressure was also the articles introduced into the Criminal Code after the outbreak of hostilities - the spread of “fakes” about the Russian army and discrediting the armed forces.