All flags in fines to them – Newspaper Kommersant No. 189 (7390) dated 10/12/2022

The deputies of Tatarstan were concerned that the federal legislation does not protect the state symbols of the regions. A bill has been submitted to the State Duma that provides for fines and arrests for “clear disrespect” for the flags and emblems of the subjects of the Russian Federation. Now the article of the Code of Administrative Offenses provides for punishment only for insulting the state symbols of Russia, as well as federal authorities. The Russian government says that administrative responsibility can be established “only on issues of federal significance.” They are concerned that otherwise the burden on officials and judges will increase.

On Tuesday, the State Duma received a bill that proposes to introduce liability for disrespect for the state symbols of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The document was submitted by the State Council of Tatarstan and State Duma deputy from this republic Airat Farrakhov.

Amendments are proposed to be made to Part 3 of Art. 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (“Petty hooliganism”), which provides for a fine of 30 thousand to 100 thousand rubles. for “clear disrespect for society, the state, the official state symbols of the Russian Federation, the Constitution of the Russian Federation” and authorities. According to the parliamentarians of Tatarstan, this article should also protect the state symbols of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and provide for fines for showing “disrespect” to the anthem, flag or coat of arms of the Russian region.

The norm in question appeared in the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in March 2019. It concerns, among other things, information that is distributed on the Internet and is expressed “in an indecent form” or “offends human dignity and public morality.” In particular, Internet users received fines under this article for insulting Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the same time, this article was supplemented by part 4, which provides for a fine of up to 200 thousand rubles. or administrative arrest up to 15 days.

The explanatory note says that “there is a problem associated with the impossibility by the laws of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation” to establish administrative responsibility for “disrespect” for the state symbols of the regions, since an offense can be committed on the Internet by “a person registered outside the relevant subject”. At the same time, regional laws do not have direct effect throughout the country, in contrast to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. In a package with this bill, the State Council of Tatarstan and Airat Farrakhov prepared additions to the law “On information, information technologies and information protection.” It is proposed to oblige providers to block Internet pages where information is posted that offends the state symbols of the regions of the Russian Federation. The bill was also registered yesterday in the Duma database.

Both initiatives were approved by the Parliament of Tatarstan in July this year. Then the chairman of the State Council Committee on Law and Order Shakir Yagudin (United Russia) noted that this would be “a certain contribution to the development of Russian federalism.” The State Council pointed out that disrespectful “manifestations” to the state symbols of the regions “become more and more.” One of the deputies told Kommersant that the parliamentarians found on the Internet a picture where the flag of Tatarstan was placed on swimming trunks.

The Russian government did not support the initiative. The Cabinet indicated that administrative liability can be established “only on issues of federal importance, including for violation of the rules and norms provided for by federal laws.” Also, the response, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko, says that the adoption of the bill may increase the burden on officials who draw up protocols and consider administrative cases. This “will cause the need to increase their staffing and, accordingly, additional budgetary expenditures,” the government warned.

Kirill Antonov, Kazan