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Russian senate passes law on property confiscation for disseminating fake news about army

The law expands the list of crimes punishable by means of the confiscation of assets obtained through such criminal acts

MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. The Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament, or "senate") unanimously passed in a plenary session a law that calls for the potential confiscation of property for disseminating fake news items about the Russian army and public calls for carrying out activities directed against state security.

Relevant amendments are being introduced to Russia’s Criminal Code (RCC) and Code of Criminal Procedure. The law expands the list of crimes punishable by means of the confiscation of assets obtained through such criminal acts. The law expands the list to cover crimes under RCC Article 207.3 ("Public Dissemination of Patently False Information about the Use of the Russian Armed Forces or about Russian State Bodies Exercising Their Authority") as well as under RCC Article 280.4 ("Public Calls to Carry Out Activities Directed against State Security"). The law specifies that this involves crimes committed for personal gain.

Additionally, RCC Article 104.1 ("Confiscation of Property") is being amended with an annotation, under which activity directed against the security of the Russian Federation is understood as committing at least one of the crimes provided for under the articles on mercenary activities, genocide, desertion, failure to carry out an order, receiving or giving a bribe, and racketeering. This list includes more than 30 RCC articles.

RCC Article 280.4 (Part 2) is being amended to include provisions on committing a crime for personal gain or hire, as well as out of political, ideological, racial, ethnic or religious hatred or animosity against any social group.

As the senators noted, the changes proposed by the law "are directed at increasing the effectiveness of defending the national interest of the Russian Federation." The document will take effect 10 days after its official publication.

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