They want to make comments on the Internet a serious crime.
The representatives suggested increasing the punishment for calling for mass riots to four years in prison, and for justifying terrorism or its propaganda on the Internet - to six years. A bill has been submitted to the State Duma to strengthen the criminal responsibility for calls for mass riots and violence against civilians, said Vasily Piskarev (United Russia), chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, on the Telegram channel. He clarified that according to the bill, for calls for mass riots, participation in them or violence against civilians, it is proposed to set a penalty of up to four years in prison (Part 3 of Section 212 of the Criminal Law), now this section sets a maximum penalty of two years in prison. A crime with a sentence of up to two years is considered minor. Up to six is considered serious. Everything changes here: 1 Guards will be selected in such cases (in cases of mild severity, you can be taken into custody only in exceptional cases). 2 Such a case can no longer be stopped by a court fine or considered in a special way. 3 The statute of limitations for prosecution increases from two years to ten years. 4 For the first time, a person convicted of a serious crime goes to a general regime colony, and not to a settlement. 5 Parole should be after half the term, not a third. 6 The conviction is erased eight years after serving. The authors of the bill themselves write that more than 90% of such acts are committed on the Internet. That is, the heavy composition will be the main reason for the attraction.
Practice under Art. 212 Part 3 is still not distinguished by its subtlety: the "conversation" included both a comment under someone else's post and a repost with an emotional signature. Once the law is passed, the consequences of such comments will intensify.