The State Duma in the first reading approved projects to discredit the volunteers of the Russian Guard

At a plenary meeting on October 19, the State Duma adopted in the first reading bills on introducing administrative and criminal liability for discrediting volunteer formations of the Russian Guard.

The draft amendments to the Criminal Code propose to clarify the existing articles of the Criminal Code on discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, in particular Art. 207.3, Art. 280.3 and Art. 284.3, adding there a mention of discrediting the volunteer units of the Russian Guard, similar to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. Punishments for discrediting volunteer units will remain the same as for discrediting the RF Armed Forces: for example, in Art. 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the maximum penalty is up to fifteen years in prison, in Art. 280.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – up to seven years in prison, in Art. 284.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – up to five years in prison.

It is proposed to add clarification about the Russian Guard to the already existing article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (CAO RF) on discrediting the Military Forces of the Russian Federation. Punishments for offenses under this article will be fines in the amount of 30 thousand to 100 thousand rubles for citizens; from 100 thousand to 300 thousand rubles. – for officials; up to 1 million rubles – for legal entities, depending on the circumstances.

October 17 State Duma approved In the first reading, three bills on the right of the Russian National Guard to create their own volunteer formations, which are part of a package of five bills. The documents reviewed in the State Duma present changes to the Labor and Tax Codes, providing for the introduction of social guarantees, benefits and compensation for Russian National Guard volunteers.

The changes proposed in the package of documents caused concern among State Duma deputies that such an approach could lead to duplication of functions of the two structures and the emergence of a second power bloc in the country. One of the authors of the package of bills, Alexander Khinshtein, in response to such concerns, said that even talking about possible interdepartmental disputes is “dangerous and unacceptable,” and the proposed changes “have been suffered through life itself and are a reaction to current events.”

Read more in the Kommersant material –“To be like the NKVD.”

Arseny Pushkin