MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. Russia’s State Duma passed a bill on the first reading which introduces criminal responsibility for participation or leadership of a foreign or international non-governmental organization (NGO), deemed undesirable in Russia.
According to the bill, participation in such an NGO carries a fine of up to 500,000 rubles ($6,775), or from one to four years’ worth of the convict’s income, with up to 10 years of restrictions in employment. Additionally, the law provides for up to 360 hours of obligatory community service or up to four years of penal labor.
The bill also proposes up to 480 hours as punishment for leading the undesired NGO. The imprisonment for this offense can be between two and six years.
The bill mentions that the responsibility covers organizations that operate within Russia as well as outside its territory. The current Russian Criminal Code only covers undesired NGOs working in Russia.
The criminal responsibility now will apply to people who previously were brought to administrative responsibility for participation in an undesired NGO. Under the current language, the perpetrator must receive two administrative penalties within one year in order to be liable for criminal prosecution.
Administrative penalties for the leaders of such NGOs will no longer be applicable at all.
However, people who voluntarily abandoned membership or leadership in an undesired NGO and who cooperate with the investigation may avoid criminal responsibility under the new bill.