Russia may criminalize “Russophobia” as a separate crime, the human rights commissioner in Moscow, Tetiana Moskalkova, suggests strengthening the legislation in this regard, Interfax reports.

“In general, today there are legal grounds for solving this problem – there is Article 282 of the Criminal Code, which talks about discriminatory actions on the basis of nationality, and there is Article 12 of the Criminal Code, which talks about the responsibility of foreign citizens. for actions that harm our citizens,” she told the Russia-24 TV channel.

“But in practice, these norms do not work well,” she complained, adding that, in her opinion, “special wording is needed to focus attention on Russophobia in general, and not only as a socially dangerous crime.”

In this regard, Moskalkova recalled that last December, President Vladimir Putin gave an order to introduce changes in the legislation to “sanctify” criminal liability for “Russophobic manifestations”.

He announced this on December 7 at a meeting with members of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights in Russia.

The new proposal comes after State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced on Wednesday that several amendments had been tabled in the lower house of the Russian parliament aimed at criminalizing “discrediting” and spreading “false information” about volunteer groups fighting in Russia’s armed forces strength

Such a measure was requested by the head of Wagner’s group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose legislative project is considered to be dedicated to his mercenaries. The new amendments are intended to practically continue the legislation adopted by the Russian parliament in March of last year, which provides for criminal liability for the dissemination of “false information” about the country’s armed forces.

Russia sees “Russophobia” everywhere in the world

Russia has accused several states of “Russophobia” because of the sanctions imposed against it, their position on the war in Ukraine or the demolition of some Soviet monuments.

In January, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Estonia’s “total Russophobia” after the Baltic country asked it to reduce its diplomatic presence on its territory.

“In recent years, the leadership of Estonia deliberately destroyed the entire range of relations with Russia. Total Russophobia, cultivation of enmity towards our country has been raised by Tallinn to the rank of state policy,” its press release states.

Zakharova also blamed “increasing Russophobia” on the part of Japan, one of the countries in Asia that has largely joined the sanctions imposed by the West against Moscow.

Tetyana Moskalkova did not explain in her speech on “Russia-24” how the possible criminalization of “Russophobia” against citizens or residents of Russia would work.

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