Russia’s Interior Ministry has introduced a draft presidential decree that would assign police the responsibility of preserving and promoting "traditional Russian spiritual and moral values."
This draft was published for public feedback on November 8. According to United24 Media, it seeks to expand the Ministry of Internal Affairs' mandate by including “activities aimed at preserving and strengthening traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.”
The decree lists these values as patriotism, service to the homeland, moral ideals, strong family bonds, creative work, prioritizing spiritual over material values, humanism, compassion, justice, and collectivism.
The draft, however, does not specify how police will be expected to enforce or support these values in practice.
Recently, the Russian government designated the “International LGBT Movement” as an extremist organization, despite the lack of any formal international LGBT organization, and the State Duma advanced a bill aimed at banning information that promotes voluntary childlessness.
Additionally, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church recently hinted at a potential return of the death penalty, arguing that neither the Church nor Jesus Christ explicitly condemned it.
