Deputies of the State Duma adopted in the first reading a draft law on tougher punishment for torture. The document was published on the website of the lower house of parliament.
United Russia members Andrey Klishas and Pavel Krasheninnikov introduced the bill to the State Duma in December last year.
The document proposes adding new parts to Articles 286 and 302 of the Criminal Code ( abuse of power and coercion to testify). For the use of torture in the commission of these crimes, United Russia proposes to punish from 4 to 12 years in prison. =»1″ />Patch holes. How repressive legislation is being changed in the wake of scandals, political trials and protests
Russian human rights activists criticized the bill and suggested making torture a separate crime. The Committee Against Torture, «Public verdict», Memorial Human Rights Center, Civic Assistance Committee, Moscow Helsinki Group and more than 20 human rights activists and organizations.
“The logic is offered that there is some kind of official authority, which contains the risks of turning into torture. However, Russian law enforcement agencies do not have such powers, and the use of this, in fact, a surrogate article of the Criminal Code [on ‘abuse of powers’] now is a consequence of hopelessness,” the appeal said.
According to human rights activists, the wording the draft law does not allow for tougher charges during the investigation, and the introduction of torture into two articles of the Criminal Code at once «will inevitably lead to arbitrary law enforcement.»
The day before, Senator Lyudmila Narusova proposed adding a separate article on torture to the Criminal Code — 286.2 — and prohibit the recognition of reliable evidence obtained by force.