In Russia, they plan to introduce criminal liability for the manifestation of Russophobia – the State Duma has already begun to search for legal norms.
It is also proposed to open special centers abroad designed to combat “Russophobia” and help those affected by it.
Unfriendly manners: the State Duma is working on criminal punishment for Russophobia
Who will be primarily responsible and why a similar phenomenon exists within the country
In Russia, they are going to introduce criminal liability for the manifestation of Russophobia – the State Duma has already begun to search for legal norms. This was reported to Izvestiya by the vice speaker of the lower house of parliament Irina Yarovaya. According to her, the first results will be presented in the near future. Mostly, the punishment will affect officials who plant such an ideology on the citizens of their countries. In addition, Irina Yarovaya intends to apply to the Foreign Ministry with a request to create offices to provide free legal assistance to Russians who have suffered from Russophobia. The People’s Front added that this phenomenon is spreading not only in the West, but also within the Russian Federation. However, lawyers and social activists warn the authorities against possible excesses and duplication of the legislative norms of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
Response
Unprecedented levels of Russophobia have emerged in a number of countries since the special operation in Ukraine . Against this background, an active discussion began in the Russian Federation on how to counter this phenomenon. One of the first initiators of the introduction of criminal liability for the “new misanthropic ideology” was the Vice Speaker of the State Duma, Irina Yarovaya. Now politicians, together with the expert community, have begun to search for legal solutions.
As regards Russophobia, we have now started to work out legal norms and legal decisions with the relevant departments. We hope that in the near future we will present the first developments.
Among examples of violations of rights on a national basis, the politician named the denial of employment and medical care, the removal of theatrical performances and concerts, as well as restrictions on the use of the Russian language.
Russophobia is produced primarily by officials, and the responsibility should lie with them. The citizens of these countries are under the yoke of the Russophobia implanted by them. Officials instill a misanthropic ideology and offer to act illegally and criminally on the territory of their countries, massively discriminate against the rights of Russians and compatriots,” said Irina Yarovaya.
In addition, the vice-speaker proposes the creation of special offices where those who have been exposed to manifestations of Russophobia abroad will be provided with free legal assistance and assistance in filing lawsuits. Relevant requests will be sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. However, there is no clear understanding yet whether such structures will be located on the territory of the Russian Federation or abroad, where they can be attacked.
General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation
Photo: Izvestia/Konstantin Kokoshkin
In early January, Vladimir Putin instructed the State Duma, the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Investigative Committee to consider proposals regarding the establishment of criminal liability for calls for discrimination against citizens of the Russian Federation and compatriots living abroad. The due date is May 1st. Izvestia sent a request to the RF IC and the Ministry of Justice. However, departments have already expressed their position on the proposed initiative. Earlier, a representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Yuri Khokhlov, suggested “treating Russophobia as a manifestation of extremism.” Deputy Minister of Justice Andrei Loginov said on May 12 that the concept of Russophobia should be enshrined in Russian legislation and responsibility for its manifestations should be established.
“In conditions of external aggression, we are only strengthening our people”
The President explained the mistake of the ideological templates of the West and instructed to update the national policy strategy
Weigh the pros and cons
Speaking about possible “legal norms and solutions” for the introduction of criminal liability, lawyer Maria Yarmush explained that, most likely, the initiative still involves changes to the Criminal Code by introducing a bill. “There can be no resolution, no decree, no order, because they are issued on the basis of the law. It can be accepted at any level, but only on the basis of the rule of law. And if such changes are not made, then there will be no orders, because otherwise they will contradict the norms of the law,” she said.
However, first, legislators should decide what exactly they mean by the term “Russophobia,” says Dmitry Lipin, a lawyer and member of the board of the Russian Bar Association. From here, according to him, the question also arises – for what and in relation to whom exactly they plan to introduce responsibility.
Criminal Code of the Russian Federation
Photo: Izvestia/Alexander Kazakov
- We could think about introducing liability for inciting hatred or enmity towards the citizens of the Russian Federation by foreign officials and public figures – such a problem really exists. However, before introducing such liability, we must make sure that we have mechanisms to enforce such decisions of our courts, which is unlikely today, the lawyer noted.
“Most complaints about Russophobia come from Spain, France, Italy”
Chairman of the Association of Lawyers of the Russian Federation Sergey Stepashin – on the problems of Russians abroad and the quality of education of lawyers
Otherwise, the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation already has a number of articles under which punishment for such phenomena can be applied, Dmitry Lipin explained. If we are talking about responsibility for calls to violate the rights of Russians on the basis of their citizenship, then the composition of Art. 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Public calls for the implementation of extremist activities.” Moreover, today there are types of punishment for Russians who have gone abroad, who call for hating those who remained in their homeland. Such people may be punished up to the qualification of their actions under Art. 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Treason”, since their anti-Russian activities can be qualified within the framework of this article as “providing other assistance to a foreign state”.
“The authors of the initiative should first weigh the pros and cons, because in today’s conditions we need to achieve victories in all areas, and obviously unenforceable sentences against foreign Russophobes, unfortunately, can only play into their hands,” he concluded.
handcuffs
Photo: Izvestia/Alexander Kazakov
Today, in the Russian legislation in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation there are indeed many elements of crimes that involve responsibility for conflicts on ethnic grounds, Irina Yarovaya agrees. But in the current conditions, Russophobia is acquiring dangerous proportions, which require a reaction at the legislative level.
HELP “IZVESTIA”
Punishment for calls for extremist activity is regulated by Art. 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. For the commission of a crime, a fine is provided in the amount of 100 to 300 thousand rubles or in the amount of wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of one to two years. An alternative could also be forced labor for up to three years, arrest from four to six months, or imprisonment for up to four years.
Among their
Russian students regularly face Russophobia abroad because of their cultural, national or religious affiliation, said Anna Lapenko, director of the Student Youth Foundation for Youth and Student Initiatives. At the same time, in addition to violations of rights, cases of persuading compatriots to renounce ties with their homeland under pressure are far from rare. Social activists consider it important to include in separate paragraphs of the article such coercion to Russophobia with the use of violence or threat, as well as the use of official position for these purposes. The fund proposes to make such changes to Art. 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
flags russia
Photo: Izvestiya/Eduard Kornienko
— Мы считаем необходимым закрепить в законодательстве под понятием русофобии действия, направленные на разжигание неприязни в отношении лица, группы лиц из-за их культурной, национальной, религиозной и иной принадлежности к России, а также склонение личности к отказу от своей исторической, культурной и иной связи с Россией и дискредитации российской власти, совершенные публично на территории РФ или за рубежом, в том числе с использованием средств массовой информации либо информационно-телекоммуникационных сетей, включая интернет, — сказала «Известиям» Анна Лапенко.
However, such an initiative should go through extensive public discussions in order to exclude possible excesses, the director of the fund added. We paid attention to the situation in the “People’s Front”. Moreover, the head of the organization’s youth wing, Vladimir Taranenko, stressed that today a similar phenomenon is spreading not only in the West, but also in Russia. According to him,
some “good Russians” actively express hostility towards their own compatriots. They broadcast their hatred on the Internet, spread fakes, openly show disrespect for our culture, religious and spiritual values, the public figure concluded.
