Shlosberg’s draft laws envisage for public persons fines up to 1 million roubles, compulsory community service up to 200 hours, or administrative arrest of up to 30 days

Press Release, 9.04.2019

Lev Shlosberg, MP of the Pskov regional parliament, head of the Yabloko branch in the Pskov region and member of the Federal Political Committee of the Yabloko party, published the texts of a package of bills “On disrespect of authorities to the people”, which he plans to submit to the State Duma through the Pskov Regional Assembly of Deputies. The legislative initiatives of Lev Shlosberg were developed jointly with Yabloko lawyers in in response to the government’s law “On disrespect for authorities”, also known as the “Senator Klishas’ law”.

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

The bill by Lev Shlosberg introduces “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, and not bearing signs of extremism”.

In addition, the bill proposes introduction of administrative responsibility for the adoption of laws qualified by court as expressing disrespect for human rights and freedoms.

In order for the deputies who voted for the law on “disrespect for authorities” to bear personal responsibility, Lev Shlosberg proposes making publication of roll-call votes mandatory.

Those guilty of “disrespect to people” will be punished with fines of up to 1 million roubles, compulsory community service up to 200 hours or administrative arrest of up to 30 days. For this purpose, it is proposed to add a new article to the Administrative Code.

Lev Shlosberg noted that he receives appeals from a large number of Russian regions, in which citizens demand from their deputies to submit similar bills to regional legislative assemblies.

“It will be a real legislative flashmob. We will show that there are deputies, legislators who do not agree with this legal outrage: it is in fact unlawful, ” Shlosberg said.

Shlosberg also stressed that the package of proposed bills represents a qualified tough legal response to unlawful legislative acts of the authorities, in particular, the law “On disrespect for authorities”.