The State Duma adopted a law on the introduction of the concepts of “mobilization” and “martial law” in the Criminal Code

The State Duma immediately in the second and third readings unanimously adopted a law on imprisonment for up to 10 years for voluntary surrender and up to 15 years for looting in wartime. Also, the Criminal Code introduces the concepts of “mobilization”, “martial law” and “wartime”. A prison term is provided for leaving the unit during the period of hostilities and failure to comply with the order of the commander.

Voluntary surrender (Article 352.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) faces a prison term of 3 to 10 years (if there are no signs of treason), for looting (Article 356.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) – up to 15 years in prison. Toughen punishment for unauthorized abandonment of a unit during mobilization and martial law (Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation): for a period of 2 to 10 days – up to 5 years in prison, for a period of 10 days to a month – up to 7 years in prison, for a period more than a month – from 5 to 10 years in prison.

For “non-compliance by subordinates with the order of the chief”, as well as for refusing to participate in military or hostilities, they face imprisonment for a term of two to three years. Also, the article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on aggravating circumstances (Article 63) introduced the commission of a crime “during the period of mobilization or martial law, in wartime or in conditions of an armed conflict or combat operations.”

A package of amendments to the draft law on amending the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, adopted in July, submitted to the State Duma yesterday, September 19th. The initiators of the amendments are senators Andrey Klishas and Olga Kovitidi, as well as nine State Duma deputies: Dmitry Vyatkin, Ernest Valeev, Vasily Piskarev, Andrey Kartapolov (all from United Russia), Leonid Slutsky (LDPR), Oleg Nilov (Fair Russia – for the Truth”), Vladislav Davankov (“New People”), Viktor Sobolev, Nikolai Kolomeitsev (both from the Communist Party).

Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov last week declared on the need to mobilize forces and resources in the country. State Duma Deputy from United Russia Mikhail Sheremet suggested announce “full mobilization”, but the Kremlin assuresthat this step is not considered. Head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov urged regions not to wait for the declaration of martial law and start local mobilization in order to help state against the backdrop of the military operation in Ukraine.

Read about “self-mobilization” in the regions of the Russian Federation in the material “Kommersant” “Additions are expected from the regions”.

Laura Keffer