MOSCOW. Dec 17 (Interfax) - A bill that increases penalty for organizing and taking part in an armed revolt up to life imprisonment passed the second and third readings in the State Duma on Tuesday.
For now, the Armed Revolt Article of the Russian Criminal Code does not differentiate penalty for organizing and taking active part in an armed revolt, including in the light of the social danger of such crimes. The bill endorses a new edition of the article, by which organizing or leading an armed revolt aimed to overthrow or forcibly change the Russian constitutional system or breach Russia's territorial integrity is penalized with 15 to 20 years of imprisonment with up to two years of probation.
Participating in such an armed revolt is penalized with 12 to 20 years in prison and up to two years of probation.
Should the aforesaid offenses lead to deaths or other severe consequences, they will be penalized with 15 to 20 years in prison, a fine of 500,000 to 1 million rubles, or life imprisonment.
The bill also amends the High Treason Article to allow exempting from criminal liability for an armed revolt of persons who voluntarily and timely inform the authorities, thus preventing further damage to Russian national interests, if the actions of such persons do not contain formal elements of another crime.
That will motivate armed revolt participants to stop their illegal actions, the bill's explanatory note said.
The bill introduces a new article to the Criminal Code: Aiding and Abetting an Enemy in Activity Knowingly Directed at Russian National Security.
The bill says that the provision of financial, material, technical, advisory or another assistance to a foreign citizen or a stateless person on the Russian territory in the activity knowingly directed against Russian national security will be penalized with ten to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to 500,000 rubles or the convict's three-year salary, unless the offense contains elements of espionage.
The bill defines as "an enemy" "a foreign state, or an international or foreign organization directly opposing the Russian Federation in an armed conflict, hostilities or other actions involving weapons and military hardware."
Additionally, the bill broadens the definition of "taking the enemy's side" in the Criminal Code. Now this will include not only the participation in an armed conflict, hostilities or other actions involving weapons and military hardware as part of the enemy's forces but also "voluntary participation in the activity of the enemy's authorities, institutions, enterprises and organizations knowingly directed against Russian national security."
A person who commits such crimes "will be exempt from criminal liability in case of preventing further damage to Russian national interests by a voluntary and timely notification of the authorities or in another way, and in case actions of such a person do not contain formal elements of another crime," the bill says.
Persons convicted of armed revolt, an act of international terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism, terrorist training, organization or participation in a terrorist network, and organization or participation in the activity of a terrorist network do not qualify for parole, the bill says.