Russian MPs approve law changes to tighten penalties for crimes that have in the past silenced critics. The maximum sentence for “high treason” is to be raised from 20 years to life imprisonment. The penalties for “terrorism” and “sabotage” are also to be increased.
On Monday, the Kremlin critic and opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Mursa was in connection with his criticism of the Russian offensive in the Ukraine sentenced to 25 years in prison for high treason.
The Duma also voted in favor of the new criminal offense of “assisting in the implementation of decisions of international organizations in which Russia does not participate or foreign government agencies”. The new allegations carry a sentence of up to five years in prison and follow an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against President Vladimir Putin last month.
According to the organization OVD-Info, the text of the law is “very generous” and could also make “investigating war crimes” a punishable offence. The law still has to pass Russia’s upper house and be signed by Putin before it can go into effect.