State Duma committee backs punishment of foreigners for aiding Russia's enemies with up to 15 years in prison

The State Duma Committee on State Construction has approved the introduction of criminal punishment for foreigners for assisting the enemy in activities knowingly directed against the security of Russia. As follows from the database on December 6, deputies adopted amendments, according to which a new paragraph of Article 276.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Espionage") is introduced to Article 276.1 of the Criminal Code.

It is noted that citizens of other states will face up to 15 years in prison for assisting the enemy in activities against the Russian Federation, as well as a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles. At the same time, a person may be exempted from punishment if he or she helped to prevent damage to the interests of Russia in a timely manner.

According to the amendment, punishment will be introduced for the provision by a foreign citizen of technical, financial, consulting or other assistance to the enemy of the Russian Federation. Cooperation of foreigners in the Russian Federation with representatives of other countries against Russia's security is proposed to be punishable by up to eight years in prison.

In addition, the amendments expand the current definition of Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Switching sides to the enemy"). After the adoption of the law it will mean not only participation in the enemy forces in an armed conflict, but also "voluntary participation in the activities of the enemy authorities or organizations", knowingly directed against the security of the Russian Federation.

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Earlier, on November 14, the head of the State Duma Committee on Security Vasily Piskarev said that a bill on a special procedure for the payment of foreign agents to special ruble accounts had been submitted to the State Duma. He noted that such an initiative would exclude the possibility for foreign agents to sponsor the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).