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Colluding with anti-Russian sanctions to carry 3-year prison terms — source

Individuals refusing to make deals in pursuance of anti-Russian sanctions may be sentenced up to 4 years, a source said

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/. Members of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, suggest establishing a penalty for individuals in the form of penal custody for up to four years for refusal to make deals in pursuance of anti-Russian sanctions, a source in the State Duma told reporters on Friday.

The proposal was made to introduce a new Article 284.2 into the Russian Penal Code. Its first part will set forth liability "for action (omission) for the purpose of performance" of anti-Russian sanctions if it entailed restriction or refusal in making "ordinary business operations or transactions" by Russian citizens, companies, the state, municipalities and persons controlled by them in the form of the penalty totaling up to 600,000 rubles ($9,600) or penal custody up to 4 years or correctional labor of the same term or penal custody up to 4 years with the penalty up to 200,000 rubles ($3,200), the source said, citing excerpts from the text of the initiative.

"Ordinary business operations or transactions" are understood as legal activities "freely performed within the framework or ordinary business and other activity consistent with the law by persons not differing from private and public entities and foreign persons controlled by them, with restrictive measures introduced against them," the source added.

A separate provision (Part 2 of Article 284.2) concurrently sets forth liability for "committal of willful acts by a Russian citizen, facilitating introduction of restrictive measures by a foreign state, a union of foreign states or an international organization against Russian private and public entities and persons controlled by them." It also covers "submission of recommendations and handover of data" that led or may lead to introduction of sanctions against Russian companies and citizens.

Penalties under this Article are provided in the form of "the penalty totaling up to 500,000 rubles ($8,100) or in the amount of the salary or another income of the convict for the period up to three years or penal custody up to 3 years or correctional labor of the same term or arrest up to six months or penal custody up to 3 years with the penalty up to 200,000 rubles ($3,200) or in the amount of the salary or another income of the convict for the period up to one year or without such."

Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said earlier that the bill on criminal liability for performance of US sanctions in the territory of Russia can be presented to the lower house of the Russian parliament on May 14. This is a priority matter planned to be considered in May, Volodin said.