Press Release, 23.05.2019

MPs of the Legislative Assembly of Karelia did not support the initiative of Emilia Slabunova, MP of the Karelian parliament and Chair the Yabloko party, on punishment of for disrespect for human rights and freedoms.

The draft law represented a response to the law initiated by the government “On Disrespect for Authority” and envisaged administrative responsibility for public actions expressing or forming a negative attitude to the rights and freedoms of a person and citizen established and guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

“In March 2019, there was adopted a law on responsibility of citizens for disrespect for the authorities. The only possible condition for existence of such a law can only be a similar law on the disrespect for citizens by the authorities,” Emilia Slabunova said during the session of the parliament of Karelia. “And the latter is primary, because it is the citizens, the people, who are the only source of power in the country, according to the Constitution of the Russian Federation,” she added.

Slabunova also stressed that “only such power which regards the dignity of citizens and their rights as the highest value has the right to existence”.

“Voting against this bill will be and can be considered as a demonstrative disrespect for citizens and disregard for their rights,” Emilia Slabunova told her fellow deputies.

She stressed that “it is matter of honour of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia to send such a bill to the State Duma, thereby expressing respect for the citizens of Karelia and the entire Russian Federation, respect for their rights and freedoms”.

The bill was supported by five deputies, 15 voted against its adoption.

Last week, the document did not receive the support of the profile committee of the Legislative Assembly.

Earlier, the package of bills “On the Disrespect of Authorities Towards the People” was published by Lev Shlosberg, deputy of the Pskov Regional Assembly of Deputies and member of the Federal Committee of the Yabloko party. , Boris Vishnevsky, head of the Yabloko faction in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, also called on the St. Petersburg parliament to consider the law on responsibility for disrespect for citizens by the authorities.

It should be noted that on 18 March, 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning insulting government officials in the media and the Internet. The draft law was introduced to the State Duma by a group of deputies headed by Senator Andrei Klishas at the end of 2018. The law on “obvious disrespect” to the government envisages fines ranging from 30,000 to 100,000 roubles. Repeated violation is punishable by arrest for up to 15 days or a fine from 100,000 to 200,000 roubles (the third and the following offenses range from 200,000 to 300,000 roubles).