Russia moves to criminalize ‘Russophobia’, amid ongoing war on Ukraine.
Valery Fadeyev, chairman of Russia’s Human Rights Council, is calling for a new law that would criminalize “Russophobia.”
“Our task is to try to come up with a legal definition of ‘Russophobia’ and with a list of applicable criminal law articles,” Fadeyev said, adding that if the criminal law does not contain a suitable provision, it should then be drafted.
Russia has no means of prosecuting foreign nationals abroad for “Russophobia,” says the official, suggesting that this calls for some “work.”
According to Fadeyev, banning “Russophobia” would conform to Vladimir Putin’s order to establish criminal penalties for discrimination against Russians living abroad.
A representative of the state Prosecutor’s Office seconded the initiative, proposing that “Russophobia” could be classified as a form of extremism.
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In the early 2022, Russian lawmakers toughened “fake news” laws, in the Kremlin’s to crack down on domestic dissent amid its ongoing war on Ukraine.
The laws, approved by lawmakers in the state Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, threaten those who “knowingly” spread false information about all Russian state bodies operating abroad with fines of 1.5 million rubles (around €13,000) and prison sentences of up to 15 years.
The move, which affects discussion of the Russian Guard, Russian embassies, the Prosecutor’s office and other state, military, law enforcement and judicial bodies, comes amid broad spread of misinformations on the war in Ukraine by its Western allies.
