Foreigners "Supporting Adversaries" Could Face Up to 15 Years in Prison According to New Russian Bill

A new bill has been proposed in Russia’s State Duma targeting foreign individuals living on the territory of Russia for providing support to “adversaries” of Moscow, according to Russian media.

The bill defines an “adversary” as any foreign state or organization in direct opposition to Russia in the form of military conflict or involving the use of weapons and other military equipment in general. 

According to Russian media, a committee of the Duma suggested a new article be introduced into the Criminal Code classifying support of an adversary on the part of a foreign national a felony, making those charged liable to prosecution. Convicted individuals would face a 10 to 15 year sentence and a fine of up to 500,000 Russian rubles (approximately $5,000).

In the proposed article, the definition of support to an adversary is broadened to encompass not only participation in armed conflict against the Russian Federation, but the provision of “financial, material-technical, consulting, or other forms of assistance.” Also included are voluntary involvement in those institutions, enterprises, or organizations “knowingly directed against Russia’s security.”

During the first two years of full-scale war, from February 2022 to February 2024, there were 19,850 detentions for anti-war stances, with 15,355 of them occurring in the first month alone. 

On November 8, the Russian Interior Ministry drafted a presidential decree assigning police the responsibility of preserving and strengthening “traditional Russian spiritual and moral values” among the populace, without, however, clarifying how police would be expected to fulfill these objectives.