Latest news with #StateDuma
Memri
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Memri
'The State Duma Has Proposed Banning...'
"The State Duma has proposed banning..." – this phrase, like a broken record, has been topping the news about Russian legislative activity for years. It seems that there is nothing left that our parliamentarians could not try to ban, and with severe consequences for violators! But now they have set their sights on something sacred – everything! An initiative has been "wandering" in the corridors of the State Duma for a long time, trying to eliminate freedom of choice. Deputy Speaker of the State Duma and former ombudsman for children's rights Anna Kuznetsova is lobbying for a bill aimed at eradicating "destructive ideology as a whole." Can you imagine the scale? Two volumes of research have already been prepared with the support of the Ministry of Science! It turns out that all of this is laid down in presidential decree No. 809 "On approval of the Fundamentals of state policy for the preservation and strengthening of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values." Until now, the decree was recalled to cite the list of "traditional values," so beloved by officials and clergy. And now, if Kuznetsova's initiative is implemented, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING can be banned! After all, "fundamentals" are not a joke, but a "strategic planning document in the sphere of ensuring national security of the Russian Federation." Everything is serious! Elvira Kikhareva They Intend To Ban Almost Anything The list of "traditional values" in itself, it seems, is quite decent: life, dignity, patriotism, family, humanism, justice... Who would argue? But, as they say, the devil is in the details! It turns out to be a cognitive dissonance: either this is a traditional value, or a tool of the West for the destruction of sovereignty (and everything Western, in the opinion of the Russian elite, is pure evil). After all, for some reason, the State Duma is in no hurry to discuss how to implement these values. It is much easier to ban something! And here comes the decree, which lists all the "enemies" that threaten our values: extremists (they are those who go out to the squares with a poster saying "no to war"), the media (numerous liberal publications that have been dispersed and banned by the authorities), the United States, and even some organizations and individuals within the country. Well, you get the idea – enemies are everywhere! At the same time, the very concept of "destructive ideology" is vague to the point of impossibility, which allows it to include absolutely everything that the Kremlin does not like. As a result, they intend to ban almost anything, and punish violations to the fullest extent of the law! Who benefits from this? Yes, everyone who wants to curry favor with the authorities, the "experts" of Putin's pool, and, of course, law enforcement agencies. After all, it is much easier to catch "violators of ideology" than real criminals! Sleight of hand – and no miracles! But in addition to the "bans" that Russians are accustomed to, there are also proposals. According to parliamentarians, they are very useful. Russian lawmakers, no doubt motivated by concern for the welfare of citizens, have recently decided to expand the practice of forced labor for those who have committed minor offenses. Of course, this has nothing to do with the desperate shortage of labor in the economy, which the government modestly estimates at two million people. Just a coincidence... So, the State Duma, in a fit of extraordinary generosity, on July 8 adopted a package of amendments that effectively introduce forced labor as a new type of punishment for as many as 45 articles of the code. Now, if you accidentally cause moderate harm to health or, say, involve a minor in innocent pranks, the court will happily give you the chance to work for the good of society in a correctional center for up to five years. It is especially touching that "corrective labor" will also be applied to economic articles. Did you delay your employees' salaries for three months? Welcome to re-education through labor! Did you falsify reports? No big deal, forced labor will help you realize the depth of your fall. The authors of this "brilliant" initiative claim that forced labor has an exclusively positive effect on crime prevention. Convicts, as one, demonstrate simply inhuman motivation to work, acquire valuable skills and, of course, are spiritually enriched. It seems that it is time to open a network of free labor camps – those who want to will certainly line up! We Get A Clear Example Of Slavery As Russian legislative practice shows, at least in these few seemingly sarcastic, but in fact very symptomatic examples, any expansion of state powers can lead not only to selective application of the law in relation to citizens of a particular country, but also to the desire to expand these powers in foreign, neighboring, sovereign territories. Undesirable officials, leaders of neighboring states, entrepreneurs, oppositionists or simply "wrong" citizens can end up in a correctional center for far-fetched reasons, be expelled from the country or forcibly sent to the front for the sake of someone's geopolitical ambitions. Today, there is practically no one to protect them from tyranny – they should have thought about this earlier. As a result, we get a clear example of slavery: people are forced to live according to pre-written rules under the threat of punishment and a constant feeling of anxiety. And this is completely incompatible with the proclaimed values of freedom, justice and humanism. The growth of state control over life and the suppression of dissent, which we see in the example of Russia, create an atmosphere of fear and suspicion. In such an environment, a constructive dialogue between the authorities and society is practically impossible, and any disagreement is dangerous for "national security." It is especially alarming that such practices are increasingly justified by ideological cliches about "traditional values" and a "special path." These slogans serve as a cover for authoritarian methods of governance and suppression of freedoms under the pretext of the uniqueness of national character, allegedly incompatible with Western democracy. Leading The Multi-Million Nation Into A Dead End However, history proves that rights and freedoms are universal values, independent of geography or culture. The desire for justice, equality, and dignity is inherent in every person, regardless of nationality and beliefs. Attempts to justify restrictions on rights by referring to a "special path" and the adoption of dubious laws are just a disguise for the usurpation of power and the protection of the selfish interests of the ruling elite. Ultimately, a strong and prosperous state can only be built by respecting rights and freedoms. An open society with guaranteed freedom of speech, assembly and an independent judicial system is the basis of the economy, science, and culture. Otherwise, the country is doomed to many years of stagnation, and legislators have no choice but to continue to strengthen control, passing more and more odious laws that help to preserve and extend their influence, but lead the multi-million nation into a dead end. *Elvira Vikhareva is a renowned Russian opposition politician based in Russia. In 2023, she was poisoned with heavy metal salts.
Novaya Gazeta Europe
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Russian lawmakers mull fines for looking up banned content online — Novaya Gazeta Europe
Russian lawmakers have introduced amendments to an existing bill that would introduce fines for 'searching for and gaining access to extremist materials' online due to come into force on 1 September, according to the State Duma database. If the amendments to the bill are adopted, those guilty of the new administrative offence would face fines of between 3,000 rubles (€33) and 5,000 rubles (€55), digital rights organisation Net Freedoms Project (NFP) wrote on Tuesday. NFP said that under the new law, users' search and history details could be handed to the authorities by search engine owners, telephone companies or any public company, such as subways, cafés or hotels, which offered free Wi-Fi access. Another amendment to the bill foresees fines for those advertising VPN services, ranging from 50,000 rubles (€550) for individuals to 500,000 rubles (€5,500) for companies. Russians routinely use VPNs to access banned content and disguise their identity and location specifically to avoid legal problems arising from their online activity. The amendments were added to a bill on streamlining the freight industry that was already on its way through the State Duma, NFP noted, adding that this was not the first attempt by deputies to introduce potentially explosive amendments to bills by the back door. 'It's a way of speeding up the process by going straight to the second and third readings in a single day. It helps avoid public outcry,' NFP said.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russian lawmakers spare witches
A Russian parliamentary committee has rejected proposed legislation aiming to ban all advertising of various 'esoteric' services and block their websites, the newspaper Vedomosti reported on Friday, citing a government review of the bill. The legislation was introduced by three Russian lawmakers in April. One of the MPs, Nina Ostanina, had previously 'declared war' on the purveyors of such services, whom she branded as 'charlatans.' The proposed legislation sought to amend existing advertising law so as to ban the commercial promotion of various 'esoteric' practices of alleged 'witches,' 'alchemists,' 'mediums,' and other such services. The bill also sought to block internet resources that advertise them. The committee rejected the draft proposal on grounds that the legal wording and definitions were insufficiently clear, which could lead to misinterpretations and misuse, according to a State Duma committee review published by Vedomosti. Additionally, the bill does not legally distinguish between fraudulent services and those allowed by Russian law, it said. The provision of such services is already regulated by Russian consumer rights legislation, and the changes demanded by the bill to advertising laws 'contain redundant and unclear terminology,' the review said. While the committee noted the 'problematic nature of this social phenomenon,' it stressed that adopting the bill in its current form could create the risk of 'unjustified restrictions' on freedom and of unprecedented government overreach. Ostanina stated that she and her fellow lawmakers would continue to work on the bill. The legislation will be discussed with the Russian State Duma committees on economic and information policies, she told Vedomosti on Friday. Most Russians have used esoteric services at least once in their lifetime, according to a poll from the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTSIOM) last year. According to the polling company's director, Valery Fyodorov, the widespread availability of technology has led to a gradual degradation in intelligence, thus leading more Russians to turn to occult services. With so many available tools, 'primarily the internet and now artificial intelligence, that in the end we have all become very stupid,' he said in an interview with the Russian online newspaper published last week.
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Russia's former transport minister dies from gunshot hours after sacking
Russia's former transport minister has died from a gunshot wound just hours after Vladimir Putin sacked him. The body of Roman Starovoit, the ex-minister, was found in his car in a Moscow suburb. He appeared to have killed himself, Russia's investigative committee said in a statement. The Kremlin published an order signed by Putin to remove Starovoit from his position as transport minister on Monday morning, shortly before news of his death was made public. No reason was given for his dismissal in the order, which was dated 7 July at 9.15am. But Russian media, including the local edition of Forbes, have reported that Starovoit may have died as early as Friday evening, before the order to dismiss him was published. The timeline of his death and dismissal has not been confirmed by investigators. A member of the State Duma, Andrei Kartapolov, told Russian journalists that Starovoit had died 'quite long ago'. Starovoit was a prominent official in the Putin government who had previously served from 2018 to 2024 as the governor of the Kursk region, where he oversaw the construction of defensive fortifications for the region on the border with Ukraine after the Russian invasion. The subsequent governor was arrested in a corruption scandal after investigators claimed that more than 1bn roubles (nearly £10m) had been embezzled from federal funds designated to protect the region from a potential incursion by Ukrainian forces. Kommersant, a leading Russian business newspaper, reported that other Kursk officials targeted in the embezzlement case had given testimony against Starovoit, indicating that he may also have faced scrutiny or arrest. Top officials who are dismissed from the Russian government can often face criminal charges as they lose the political backing that previously may have protected them from inquiries into their business or political dealings. Part of the Kursk region was occupied by Ukraine's army last August in a counteroffensive that was deeply embarrassing for the Kremlin, which has sought to keep the war out of Russia and minimise the impact of the conflict on Russian citizens. Kommersant reported that Starovoit was found with a Makarov pistol that he had been awarded in 2003 for his service 'ensuring public safety' in his role as the governor of the Kursk region. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesperson, denied that Starovoit's sacking was due to a 'lack of trust' but did not answer questions on why he had been dismissed. Also on Monday, a senior official at Russia's federal roads agency, Andrei Korneichuk, died at work of an apparent heart attack. There was no clear connection between the two transport officials' deaths. The Kremlin announced Starovoit's dismissal after hundreds of flights were cancelled across Russia due to a mass disruption caused by Ukrainian drone attacks over the weekend. As of Monday, nearly 500 flights had been cancelled in Russia and another 1,500 were delayed, according to official statistics. Russia and Ukraine struck each other with hundreds of long-range drones on Sunday as Ukraine said it would scale up drone production in collaboration with western countries. Russia's defence ministry claimed to have shot down more than 150 long-range drones over the weekend. The strikes on Russia led to what local media described as a 'transport collapse', with photos of travellers stranded in transport hubs including Moscow's Sheremetyevo and St Petersburg's Pulkovo airports.
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Russia's former transport minister dies from gunshot wound hours after sacking
Russia's former transport minister has died from a gunshot wound just hours after he was sacked by Vladimir Putin. The body of Roman Starovoit, the ex-minister, was found in his car in a Moscow suburb. He appeared to have killed himself, Russia's investigative committee said in a statement. The Kremlin published an order signed by Putin to remove Starovoit from his position as transport minister on Monday morning shortly before news of his death was made public. No reason was given for his dismissal in the order, which was dated 7 July at 9:15am. But Russian media, including the local edition of Forbes, have reported that Starovoit may have died as early as Friday evening, before the order to dismiss him was published. The timeline of his death and dismissal has not been confirmed by investigators. A member of the State Duma, Andrei Kartapolov, told Russian journalists that Starovoit had died 'quite long ago'. Starovoit was a prominent official in the Putin government who had previously served from 2018 to 2024 as the governor of the Kursk region, where he oversaw the construction of defensive fortifications for the region on the border with Ukraine after the Russian invasion. The subsequent governor was arrested in a corruption scandal after investigators claimed that more than 1bn roubles (nearly £10m) had been embezzled from federal funds designated to protect the region from a potential incursion by Ukrainian forces. Kommersant, a leading Russian business newspaper, reported that other Kursk officials targeted in the embezzlement case had given testimony against Starovoit, indicating that he may also have faced scrutiny or arrest. Top officials who are dismissed from the Russian government can often face criminal charges as they lose the political backing that previously may have protected them from inquiries into their business or political dealings. Part of the Kursk region was occupied by Ukraine's army last August in a counteroffensive that was deeply embarrassing for the Kremlin, which has sought to keep the war out of Russia and minimise the impact of the conflict on Russian citizens. Kommersant reported that Starovoit was found with a Makarov pistol that he had been awarded in 2003 for his service 'ensuring public safety' in his role as the governor of the Kursk region.
