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State Duma about to outlaw swear words in mass media

Punishment for foul language will be equivalent to the fines for abusing the law that protects minors from information harmful to their health

MOSCOW, March 11 (Itar-Tass) – State Duma’s committee on constitutional legislation and state construction on Monday recommended to the lower house of Russian parliament to adopt in the second reading amendments imposing fines for profane words in mass media.

The fines have remained unchanged as compared to those in the bill adopted in the first reading: individuals will have to pay 2,000-3,000 roubles (U.S. $1=RUB 30.76), officials, from 5,000 to 20,000 rubles, and legal entities from 20,000 to 200,000 rubles for using profanity-laden language in the media.

It will be lawyers’ job to decide in each particular case whether certain words or expressions used by the media are foul or not, said one of the bill’s co-authors, Dmitry Vyatkin, of the United Russia party.

“They will be examined as there are special dictionaries and research studies,” Vyatkin, the legislation committee’s deputy chairman, added.

Punishment for foul language will be equivalent to the fines for abusing the law that protects minors from information harmful to their health.