- State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin proposed criminalizing and seizing property of critics who moved abroad and speak against Moscow's assault on Ukraine.
- He said current laws are insufficient to crack down on critics and labeled them miscreants supporting villains and Nazism.
- Volodin argued critics renting out Russia-based property feel impunity and justice cannot reach them, urging a new criminal law to allow seizures.
- Kremlin rights council member Kirill Kabanov urged legally defining traitor and considering amending treason laws before punishing critics who fled.
The speaker of Russian parliament’s lower house on Friday proposed confiscating the property of critics who moved abroad and who speak out against Moscow’s assault on Ukraine.
After President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24, Russian authorities introduced long prison terms for people criticising the Kremlin’s offensive in the pro-Western country.
On Friday, Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the parliament’s lower house, the State Duma, said the existing laws were not enough to crack down on critics.
“Some of our fellow citizens consider it possible to insult Russia, its residents, soldiers and officers, and openly support villains, Nazis and murderers,” he said on messaging app Telegram, using Kremlin terms for Ukrainian authorities.
According to Russian legislation, Volodin pointed out, such calls can be considered “rehabilitation of Nazism” and discrediting the armed forces.
He called critics “miscreants” who enjoy life abroad and rent out their Russia-based property.
“They feel like they have impunity, believing that justice cannot reach them,” Volodin said.
He said that in the current circumstances it would be “right” to introduce a criminal law that would allow authorities to seize the property of such people.
He did not provide further details.
If implemented, the new legislation would be a throwback to the darkest days of the Soviet Union.
Separately, a member of the Kremlin’s rights council, Kirill Kabanov, pointed to multiple calls from Russian politicians to punish Kremlin critics who have fled but stressed it was important to legally define the term “traitor” first.
“Any form of betrayal must be punished,” he wrote.
“It is necessary to start by defining the very legal concept of ‘traitor’,” he said, adding that a law on state treason might need to be amended.
He said that members of the Kremlin‘s rights council planned to discuss the issue with legislators “in the near future”.
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