MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. Around 10 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) recognized as undesirable in Russia are promoting the idea of legalizing drugs from abroad, head of the Russian State Duma's commission on investigating instances of foreign interference into Russia's internal affairs Vasily Piskarev told reporters on Thursday.
"There are around 10 NGOs recognized as undesirable in Russia. They have moved abroad now and are now conducting their destructive activities from there on inciting a desire among the youth to demand legalization of drugs thinking that drugs represent freedom, independence, happinness," Piskarev said after the commission's session.
He demonstrated four packages of documents that confirm the commission's findings. "The findings are based not only on the documents that I have collected here, but also on the materials at the disposal of the Interior Ministry and those who are involved in rehabilitation of people addicted to drugs," Piskarev said. "We will not allow legalization of drugs, and we will also not allow the attempts to introduce here, in Russia, the rehabilitation of those addicted to drugs by the so-called methadone replacement therapy," he added.
"Thos NGOs with the support of foreign media agents are trying to promote among the youth the idea that it is necessary to legalize drugs. This is unacceptable," he stressed.
"Today, we have discussed the issue of increasing the penalty in accordance with the Russian Penal Code's Article 150 ("Inciting a minor to commit a crime"). Those who involve children in distributing drugs, in criminal activity connected with drug distribution, should be sentenced to up 20 years in prison, the same term as for drug distribution itself," Piskarev explained.
He said that commission members unanimously supported the initiative. "This initiative was also supported by law enforcement agencies," he noted.
"We have also prepared several legislative initiatives on countering such destructive influence on the youth," Piskarev continued. The commission also suggests to "speed up the consideration of the draft law submitted to the State Duma on increasing administrative responsibility for providing platforms for drug propaganda," he said adding that "we will consider it as a priority."
Piskarev also suggested to speed up the consideration of the draft law on increasing responsibility for inciting to use drugs via internet.
"It is obvious that in the current political circumstances, non-friendly states will only step up their interference into the internal affairs of our countries, including by imposing and promoting narco-liberal ideas, deliberately destroying the young generation of our citizens," he conlcuded.