MOSCOW, July 02. /ITAR-TASS/. State Duma has passed in the first reading a bill of amendments to the Criminal Code that tighten up punishment for public calls for separatism.

The initiative that was authored by Andrei Klishas, a member of the upper house of parliament, envisions a new type of punishment for appeals to break up the territorial integrity of the country. The case in hand is compulsory works for up to 3 years or an arrest for four to six years.

The amendments also contain a provision raising maximum punishment for separatist calls to four years in jail from the current three and denial of the right to occupy certain official positions or engage in certain professions for the same period of time.

The same offenses committed through the mass media or electronic information networks, including Internet, will entail an extra punishment in the form a ban on engaging in some professions for periods of up to three years.