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Russian lawmakers propose criminal penalties for violations in biological materials export

The report also suggests elaborating the issue of introducing administrative liability for organizations that did not provide information on research being conducted in the field of biological safety

MOSCOW, April 12. /TASS/. A parliamentary commission probing into the activities of US biolabs in Ukraine has proposed to consider imposing criminal penalties for repeated violations in the export of biological materials from Russia, according to the commission’s report seen by TASS.

"The government of the Russian Federation together with the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office and the Russian Investigative Committee should conduct an analysis and evaluation of law enforcement in the sphere of export control and export of biological material from the Russian Federation, providing for additional mechanisms to prevent and suppress offenses and crimes related to the illegal transfer of biomaterials and biotechnologies across the state border of the Russian Federation. It is necessary to elaborate the issue of establishment of criminal liability for repeated violation of export control legislation, as well as in case such actions caused substantial damage irrespective of the ‘guilty knowledge’," the document said.

The report also suggests elaborating the issue of introducing administrative liability for organizations that did not provide information on research being conducted in the field of biological safety.

Besides, lawmakers consider it necessary to ensure integration of the liberated territories of Russia’s new regions "into the national system of biological security".

The commission reiterated in the report its position "in favor of the urgent need to comprehensively strengthen the international legal regime" established by the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC). For this, all the states participants to the BWC should develop a mechanism to verify compliance with its provisions. The commission members point out that Russia, based on the experience of its specialized anti-epidemic brigades, has proposed that the BWC states establish mobile medical-biological units within the framework of the convention.

The document also said that Russia would actively put forward its proposals within the framework of the BWC Ninth Review Conference.