The State Duma adopted a new law “On Citizenship”

The State Duma adopted in the second and third readings the law “On Citizenship”, introduced in December 2021 by Vladimir Putin. By the second reading in March 2022, it amended on the deprivation of acquired citizenship for discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, desertion, calls to violate the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation and extremism.

According to the law, the citizenship of the Russian Federation is single and equal, regardless of the grounds for its acquisition. A citizen of the Russian Federation cannot be deprived of citizenship, even if he lives in another country. Also, Russian citizens cannot be deported outside the country or extradited to other countries.

To obtain Russian citizenship, you must:

• permanently reside in the Russian Federation from the date of the decision to issue a residence permit until the day of filing an application for citizenship within five years;
• speak Russian, know the history of Russia and the fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation;
• not pose a threat to law and order.

Citizenship without the first two listed requirements can be obtained by stateless persons and foreigners who were born or permanently resided on the territory of the RSFSR and were citizens of the USSR, and persons who have relatives in a direct ascending line who permanently resided in the territory that belonged to the Russian Empire or the USSR (in within the state border of the Russian Federation). Veterans of the Great Patriotic War, former citizens of the USSR, can also obtain Russian citizenship under this scheme.

Citizenship can be terminated in the event of a voluntary declaration of a citizen or the establishment of the fact that he submitted forged documents or knowingly false information. In addition, citizenship can be revoked for:

• violation of the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation (Article 280.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• sabotage (Article 281), assistance to sabotage activities (Article 281.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), training in order to carry out sabotage activities (Article 281.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), organization of a sabotage community and participation in it (Article 281.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• desertion (Article 338 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• public calls to unleash an aggressive war (Article 354 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• creation of a non-profit organization that infringes on the personality and rights of citizens (Article 239 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• destruction or damage to military graves (Article 243.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• encroachment on the life of a statesman or public figure (Article 277 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• calls for the introduction of restrictive measures against the Russian Federation (Article 284.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• rehabilitation of Nazism (Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);
• crimes in the field of trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

Laura Keffer