The Russian government commission has endorsed a bill proposed by Deputy Speaker of the State Duma and United Russia deputy, Irina Yarovaya, to introduce 'Russophobia' as a punishable offense in the Criminal Code, subject to further refinement.
This development was reported by RBC, which obtained the relevant document, with its authenticity confirmed by a source familiar with the government's recall.
Under the proposed legislation, discriminatory actions against Russian citizens, stateless persons residing permanently in Russia, or non-Russian compatriots will be subject to legal liability.
This liability extends to actions committed outside of Russia by foreign officials, officials of public international organizations, or foreign citizens using their official positions. The bill includes provisions for liability "for public calls to commit discriminatory actions."
The new article, 136.1 "Russophobia," will be added to Chapter 19 of the Criminal Code, which deals with "Crimes against the constitutional rights and freedoms of man and citizen." The bill also suggests amending the Criminal Procedure Code to allow for trials in criminal cases of medium gravity to be conducted in the absence of the defendant in "exceptional cases."
The rationale for the legislative amendment, as stated in the explanatory note, includes the need to protect military graves, monuments, steles, obelisks, and other memorial structures commemorating those who died defending the Fatherland.
The government commission has requested the bill's proponents to specify fines and imprisonment terms to gain full support. RBC has reached out to the government's press service and Irina Yarovaya's representative for further comments.
