MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. First Deputy Head of the United Russia faction Adalbi Shagoshev has submitted to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, a bill toughening punishment for recruiting terrorists and envisaging life imprisonment for this.
Under the bill, committing acts of terrorism, "training, forcing into and recruiting" persons to commit terrorism-related crimes and financing terrorism will be punishable by a life sentence under Article 205.1.4 of the Russian Criminal Code.
The author underlined in an explanatory note that the initiative is aimed at stepping up the fight against recruiting or involving persons into organizing and financing of terrorism-related crimes, extremist and terrorism activity in general.
"Terrorism has turned into lucrative business of a global scale with a developed ‘labor market’ and channeling capitals with the rules and morals incompatible with any human and democratic values," the author of the bill said.
"It is inadmissible that every day more than 1,000 people are subject to recruitment across the globe," Shagoshev wrote, warning that any persons regardless of their age, sex and social status may be subject to a recruitment attempt.
The current legislation envisages jail terms of between five and ten years with a fine of up to 500,000 rubles ($8,500) or salary paid during three years for recruiting terrorists. The lawmaker believes that this measure is incompatible with the gravity of these crimes. "One terrorist may commit one terrorist attack, and a recruiter accepts into ranks dozens of these terrorists. The current punishment for this crime is inconsistent," he stressed.