Bouging legislation for foreign agents Amendments passed the first reading in the State Duma

Amendments are made in Art. 330.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which prescribes a punishment for the failure to fulfill the duties of "foreign regents".

Changes cancel the condition that criminal liability for “foreign agents” occurs after two administrative offenses under Art. 19.34 Code of Administrative Offenses (violation of the procedure for the activity of a foreign agent) within one year.

Instead, the law will bring them to criminal liability after the first administrative protocol.

The State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said today that it is important to "protect Russia from the intervention of unfriendly countries acting through deduced foreign agents." According to his version, with increasing responsibility for them, the authorities “protect the interests of citizens” and “ensure the security of the state”.

In June, a law was signed that tightened administrative responsibility for “foreign agents” and allowed to attract in absentia for violations. A fine was also introduced for incorrect labeling of the materials of “foreign agents” - up to 50 thousand rubles.

The idea of introducing criminal liability against foreign agents after the first protocol was nominated by the deputy minister of justice Oleg Sviridenko in the spring: he stated that

“Inoagens” “triumph in the fact of their inclusion in the register,” and minor fines “do not contribute to the observance of the law”.