Putin clamps down on Russian Nationalism by 'Anti-Nazi' law

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Russia moves to criminalize Holocaust denial

Published time: March 26, 2013 12:44
Edited time: March 28, 2013 11:31 Get short URL

RIA Novosti / Iliya Pitalev



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Crime, History, Human rights, Law, Mass media, Russia

The Russian lower house has received a new bill suggesting up to five years in prison for publicly denying the Holocaust or portraying Nazis as heroes.
The sponsor of the bill is Boris Shpigel, an Upper House member who recently submitted his resignation after being elected president of international rights group 'World without Nazism,' as Russian laws do not allow senators to hold leading posts in foreign or international organizations.
The new bill suggests amending the Criminal Code article on inciting hatred or humiliation of human dignity. The current draft would criminalize the rehabilitation of Nazism, portraying Nazis or their aides as heroes, Holocaust denial and also humiliating the dignity of individuals or groups on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, language, background, religion or belonging to a social group. These offenses would be prosecuted if committed in public or in mass media.
The amendments would punish such crimes with fines ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 rubles (from $3,300 to $10,000), correctional labor for up to two years or, in severe cases, prison terms of up to two years. If the crime is committed through abuse of office or together with threats of violence, the fines are raised to 500,000 rubles (under $17,000) and a maximum prison term of five years.
Russian law mandates punishment for inciting racial and ethnic hatred, and Nazi movements are outlawed in the country. However, these norms have not been formalized into a single legislative act. Last May, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) political bloc approved a model law aimed at countering the glorification of Nazism, prioritizing mandatory punishment for such crimes.
Russian law enforcement has also noted a rise in nationalist sentiment in society, and called for rapid approval of laws to combat this threat.
The CIS model law also suggested the establishment of a special body to counter the rehabilitation of Nazism, which would inform society about the problem and present annual reports. However, this provision was not included in the Russian bill.

[Avvakum]

• Home /
• Russian politics /

Russia moves to criminalize Holocaust denial

Published time: March 26, 2013 12:44
Edited time: March 28, 2013 11:31 Get short URL

RIA Novosti / Iliya Pitalev



Share on tumblr



Tags
Crime, History, Human rights, Law, Mass media, Russia

The Russian lower house has received a new bill suggesting up to five years in prison for publicly denying the Holocaust or portraying Nazis as heroes.
The sponsor of the bill is Boris Shpigel, an Upper House member who recently submitted his resignation after being elected president of international rights group 'World without Nazism,' as Russian laws do not allow senators to hold leading posts in foreign or international organizations.
The new bill suggests amending the Criminal Code article on inciting hatred or humiliation of human dignity. The current draft would criminalize the rehabilitation of Nazism, portraying Nazis or their aides as heroes, Holocaust denial and also humiliating the dignity of individuals or groups on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, language, background, religion or belonging to a social group. These offenses would be prosecuted if committed in public or in mass media.
The amendments would punish such crimes with fines ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 rubles (from $3,300 to $10,000), correctional labor for up to two years or, in severe cases, prison terms of up to two years. If the crime is committed through abuse of office or together with threats of violence, the fines are raised to 500,000 rubles (under $17,000) and a maximum prison term of five years.
Russian law mandates punishment for inciting racial and ethnic hatred, and Nazi movements are outlawed in the country. However, these norms have not been formalized into a single legislative act. Last May, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) political bloc approved a model law aimed at countering the glorification of Nazism, prioritizing mandatory punishment for such crimes.
Russian law enforcement has also noted a rise in nationalist sentiment in society, and called for rapid approval of laws to combat this threat.
The CIS model law also suggested the establishment of a special body to counter the rehabilitation of Nazism, which would inform society about the problem and present annual reports. However, this provision was not included in the Russian bill.

This Law passed. What RT doesn't say is that the law outlaws criticism of Stalin, the Soviet Union, and the CPSU for actions taken during WWII or the run-up to the War. Modern Putin's Russia is built around the cult of Neo-Sovietism and is actually worse in some ways, being also a multicultural/politically correct zone in which as the article implies, actual Russian Nationalism is seriously frowned upon.

Nationalists good or bad, Putin isn't the man to truly help you, but with others will silence and imprison you when the time comes, if not kill you.

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See, the headlines make him sound like a good guy, and then when you read the articles....

Russia's Putin outlaws denial of Nazi crimes

By Alexei Anishchuk May 5, 2014 12:14 PM


Wochit

Russia's Putin Outlaws Denial Of Nazi Crimes


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Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday making the denial of Nazi crimes and distortion of the Soviet Union's role in the World War Two a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in jail.

The law, described by critics as an attempt to curb freedom of expression to appease conservative Russians, the ex-KGB spy's main support base, also criminalizes the public desecration of war memorials.
The Kremlin has used World War Two as a pillar to unite a society that Putin has said lost its moral bearings following the 1991 Soviet collapse.
It has become increasingly risky for Russians to dispute an official line that glorifies the wartime achievements of the Soviet leadership and plays down its errors.
The new law would ban "wittingly spreading false information about the activity of the USSR during the years of World War Two".
Russian officials and media have raised the specter of Nazi Germany repeatedly during Moscow's confrontation with the West over Ukraine, calling the overthrow of a Russian-allied president in February a coup carried out in part by "neo-Nazi" forces.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin answers a journalist's question during a televised news confere …

Independent channel Dozhd (TV Rain) was taken off the air earlier this year after asking viewers whether Leningrad, now St Petersburg, should have been given to German troops to save lives during its 872-day siege during World War Two.
Viktor Shenderovich, a blogger critical of the authorities, came under fire from Kremlin supporters in February after comparing the Sochi Olympics to the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, used by Adolf Hitler to burnish the image of the Nazi Germany.
In a comment posted when the legislation was first introduced, veteran TV host Vladimir Posner said he believed its aim was "to shut the mouths of journalists, historians and writers".
He said he feared it would "practically ban criticism of Stalin" for "grave mistakes that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of our soldiers".
It was unclear whether the wording of the bill had been changed since its introduction and Posner could not immediately be reached for comment.
Kremlin critics say Putin, in power since 2000, has used legislation, court cases and other levers to tighten control during his current term, which he won despite large opposition protests in 2011-2012. Putin denies the accusations.
Separately on Monday, Putin signed a law imposing fines for the use of expletives on television, radio and in films shown in theatres. Music and movies containing foul language will have to have a warning on the label, state-run RIA news agency said.
Putin also signed a law imposing stricter rules on bloggers, which opponents say is aimed at suppressing criticism on the Internet.
(Editing by Steve Gutterman; editing by Andrew Roche)