MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. The State Duma on Tuesday adopted in the second and third readings a bill stipulating that resistance to an official performing military service-related duties or coercion to violate them, involving violence or the threat of its use, during the period of mobilization or martial law shall be punishable with an imprisonment for up to 15 years.

Article 333 of Russia’s Criminal Code is supplemented with part three, according to which "actions described in parts one or two of this article, committed during the period of mobilization or martial law, in wartime or in the context of an armed conflict or combat operations, are punishable with an imprisonment for a term of five to fifteen years." Currently, this crime is punishable with jail terms for up to five years.

Amendments are made to Article 332 of the Criminal Code (Non-execution of an order). Non-execution by a subordinate of an order given by a superior in the prescribed manner, during martial law, in wartime or in the context of an armed conflict or combat operations, as well as refusal to participate in military or combat operations, entails imprisonment for a term of two to three years. Currently, this offence may entail military service-related restrictions for up to two years, an arrest for up to six months, or detention in a disciplinary military unit for up to two years.

The same crime, committed "during martial law, in wartime or in the context of an armed conflict or combat operations, as well as refusal to participate in military or combat operations, which entailed grave consequences", is punishable with an imprisonment of three to ten years. Now such an offence is punishable with military service-related restrictions for up to one year, an arrest for up to six months, or detention in a disciplinary military unit for up to two years.

The State Duma at a meeting on Tuesday adopted in the second and third readings a bill to complement the Criminal Code (CC) with an article for looting in wartime or during a conflict: the maximum term for this will be up to 15 years behind bars.

The State Duma adopted in the second and third readings a bill to make voluntary surrender (with no signs of treason) punishable with an imprisonment for up to 10 years.

The State Duma on Tuesday adopted in the second and third readings a bill that declares the periods of mobilization, martial law and wartime as aggravating factors in criminal sentencing.