Civilians will be equated with the military – Newspaper Kommersant No. 62 (7507) dated 04/11/2023

The State Duma Committee on State Construction and Legislation on Monday recommended the adoption in the second and third readings of two bills that simplify the recognition of participants in a special military operation (SVO) and citizens living in the SVO zone as missing or dead. By the second reading, the circle of persons to whom the new norms will apply was significantly expanded: it included volunteers who signed a contract with military companies, law enforcement officers, volunteers and other citizens who “lived or temporarily stayed” in the NVO zone. In addition, the committee approved amendments that toughen punishment for crimes of a terrorist nature and introduce life imprisonment for treason.

Two bills by a group of deputies and senators, simplifying the procedure for declaring missing and declaring dead members of the NWO and citizens living in its territory, were adopted in the first reading on April 4. With regard to these categories of citizens, the rule will not apply, according to which a person (military or civilian), missing in connection with hostilities, can be declared dead by a court only two years after their end. And the period of recognition as missing will be reduced to six months.

According to the amendments approved by the committee for the second reading, three months after the recognition of a citizen as missing, an interested person may apply to declare him dead. “There are situations when there is a high probability that a person has died, but the body has not been found. The court makes a decision, and on its basis, the registry office issues a death certificate. After that, the family receives the payments due to it, inheritance relations are opened, ”committee chairman Pavel Krasheninnikov (United Russia) explained to Kommersant. Now the terms for receiving payments and inheritance in such cases will be significantly reduced.

The committee also recommended the adoption of amendments extending the new norms to those who do military service in the territories bordering the NVO zone, volunteers who have entered into a contract with an “organization that contributes to the fulfillment of the tasks assigned to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation”, law enforcement officials, as well as citizens “temporarily located” in or in the vicinity of combat areas. “The circle of people is greatly expanded. It can be correspondents, and volunteers, and so on. The main thing is that we are talking about people doing their duty in the NVO zone and in the adjacent territories,” said Mr. Krasheninnikov.

The new norms will apply to all the dead from the beginning of the special operation. At the same time, the government is given 30 days to develop a unified procedure for issuing documents, regardless of whether the dead were military or civilians. The Duma will consider the bills on April 11 immediately in the second and third readings.

Also at a meeting on April 10, the committee recommended the adoption of an amendment to the Criminal Code (CC), toughening penalties for terrorism, sabotage and treason. To speed up the process, amendments were submitted to a government bill adopted at the end of last year in the first reading, increasing the responsibility for sabotage and terrorist acts committed with an encroachment on potentially dangerous biological objects or using pathogenic biological agents.

“In the light of recent tragic events, on behalf of the Chairman of the State Duma, the deputies initiated inter-factional amendments that relate to increased punishment for crimes of a terrorist nature, tougher liability for terrorism, inducement, recruitment, and the organization of a terrorist community,” said its first deputy chairman at a meeting of the committee. Irina Pankina (“United Russia”).

We are talking about raising the upper and lower limits of liability for several offenses at once. For example, according to part 1 of Art. 205 of the Criminal Code (terrorist act without aggravating circumstances), the maximum term of imprisonment will increase from 15 to 20 years, and under Art. 275 (treason) – from 20 years to life imprisonment. The minimum threshold for punishment is increased under Art. 205.1 (assisting terrorist activities): Recruiting or engaging in terrorist offenses will now face a penalty of 7 years in prison (currently 5 to 15 years), and aiding terrorism from 12 years (currently 10 to 20 years) ). Also, from 10 to 12 years, the minimum threshold under Art. 361 (act of international terrorism). The maximum sanction under this article remains the same – life imprisonment. The Duma will consider this document on April 13.

Ksenia Veretennikova