The Committee of the Federation Council supported the law on exemption from criminal liability of contractors

Committees of the Federation Council supported a law that establishes legal guarantees and grounds for exemption from criminal liability for those who have entered into a contract for military service during the period of mobilization, martial law or wartime.

The conclusions, which are dated June 20 (the day the bill was submitted to parliament after it was adopted by the State Duma), were published by the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, as well as the Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building. In addition, the document was published by the legal department of the Apparatus of the upper house.

The Legal Department noted that the Federal Law “is not subject to mandatory consideration” in the Federation Council, since it does not affect Art. 106 of the Constitution (on the mandatory consideration of bills by the Federation Council). “[Законопроект] may be considered by the Federation Council no later than July 4, 2023,” the conclusion specifies. At the same time, it was previously reported that the senators will consider the draft today, June 21.

The draft law “On the Peculiarities of Criminal Liability of Persons Involved in a Special Military Operation” was submitted to the State Duma on June 13 by deputies Pavel Krasheninnikov and Irina Pankina, as well as by Senator Andrei Klishas. The next day it was approved in the first reading, and already on June 20 the lower house adopted it immediately in the second and third readings.

According to the initiative, it is proposed to release from punishment those who have committed crimes of small and medium gravity, and those who have committed crimes during military service. In the second reading, the deputies clarified who the draft norms apply to, and also prescribed who cannot be released from punishment.

The first category to be released is people who have committed crimes of small and medium gravity. In addition to those who are accused under Art. 205.2 (public calls for terrorism), Art. 220 (illicit handling of nuclear materials), art. 221 (theft of nuclear materials) and Art. 280 (calls for separatism) of the Criminal Code before the entry into force of the law.

The second category includes citizens who are doing military service, but in respect of whom a preliminary investigation is underway (there is no link to the date of entry into force of the draft law under consideration). The third category includes convicts who have served their sentence or have been released on parole, with the exception of those who have a criminal record for committing crimes against the sexual integrity of minors, or for crimes under the articles of the Criminal Code for terrorism, treason, extremism (22 articles in total).