Expanding responsibility for extremist actions

Parliamentarians adopted amendments to the Criminal Code concerning the expansion of signs of extremist activity for which they can be held accountable in the second reading. Parliamentarians Galina Antyufeyeva and Grigory Dyachenko initiated law-in-draft regarding criminal liability for extremism based on origin and language initially. Amendments initiated by the Government were adopted today, when considering the law-in-draft in the second reading,. It is proposed to expand and clarify the concepts in order to harmonize with similar Russian legislation. Responsibility is prescribed for promoting the exclusivity, superiority or inferiority of citizens on the basis of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, attitude to religion, or membership in any social group.

The Criminal Code is supplemented by Article 278-4. Criminal liability is introduced for repeated propaganda of symbols of extremist organizations or propaganda of Nazi paraphernalia, as well as for the production or sale of these paraphernalia: a fine of 1700 to 3000 minimum wages (from 31 thousand to 55 thousand rubles), compulsory work up to 180 hours, correctional labor for up to 1 year or imprisonment for up to 3 years. Those who have already committed similar actions and were brought to administrative responsibility under Article 20.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses will be subject to criminal prosecution under the new article.

The adopted law will come into force after 14 days from the date of official publication.