The Duma adopted a law on criminal punishment for discrediting volunteers and mercenaries

The Duma adopted a law on criminal punishment for discrediting volunteers and mercenaries

At its meeting on March 14, the State Duma adopted the final third reading of the draft law, which provides for criminal liability for the discrediting of mercenaries and volunteers for the war with Ukraine and the dissemination of false information about them. The documents are posted in the parliament database.

Now, the distribution of such information about volunteers and mercenaries can be punishable by up to 7 years of imprisonment.

“Everyone who today, risking his life, ensures the safety of the country and its citizens, is protected from provocations and lies,” Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin wrote in a telegram. According to Volodyn, the maximum term according to the laws adopted by the deputies is 15 years of imprisonment. This is not mentioned in the documents in the Duma database.

The norms of the law on the discrediting of the Russian army adopted after the February invasion of Ukraine have actually been extended to volunteer units, which, among other things, are officially considered mercenaries of the so-called Wagner PMC.

Russian courts recognize any information about the war that contradicts official reports by discrediting and spreading obviously false information. In particular, information about alleged war crimes, including attacks on civilian objects, and about victims among the civilian population.



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