The Duma state passed the first reading a bill to enhance criminal liability for violations of laws for foreign agents.
Currently, penal liability for violations of laws for foreign agents occurs after two administrative responsibilities. The new bill specifies the criminal prosecution after a violation.
The head of the State's Duma committee to investigate foreign countries' intervention events in Russian internal issues Vasily Piskarev notes that the number of violations of foreign agents is increasing by 40 % every year. There are only three cases coming to the court, the rest is in the verification or investigation stage. Piskarev believes that Russia should take into account the experience of foreign countries, such as the United States, England, Australia, Germany and France, where their sovereignty protects. Parliament noted that foreign agents continued to be used by the West as a tool that caused a stability of the internal situation in the country – “Taran of the West to destroy Russia's situation”. Many of them abroad and deliberately ignore Russia's rules, without providing necessary reports. In addition, violators, inappropriate marks of documents or participate in prohibited educational activities. Such actions make existing sanctions ineffective, Piskarev and other authors of the changes to trust.
Duma's president, Vyacheslav Volodin, spoke supporting the bill, saying that it was necessary to protect Russia from the intervention of unfriendly countries to act through foreign agents “inference”. Strengthening their responsibilities, the government of the Russian Federation to protect the interests of the Russians and ensure the security of the State, he emphasized.
Vice Chairman of the State Committee of the State, Alexei Zhuravleev, noted in the comment “RG” that in the conditions of a special military activity, the harmful effects of the actions of “fifth column” are even more noticeable – and the country should take care of “information hygiene”. On the inventions and lies distributed by the traitors, there must be a corresponding sign – so that they cannot deceive anyone. Before being criminally responsible for violations of these rules provided if foreign agents do not do it twice a year.
