Arrest of Russian assets of foreigners, ban on entry and work. The State Duma will extend the “law of scoundrels” to all countries

In the first reading, the State Duma adopted a bill that would allow a citizen of any country to be banned from entering Russia and seize his property if the Russian authorities admit that he committed a crime against a citizen of the Russian Federation.

V the bill it says about the extension to all countries of the sanctions listed by the Russian law “On measures of influence on persons involved in violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms, the rights and freedoms of citizens of the Russian Federation”, also known as the “law on orphans” and “law of scoundrels.” In particular, he introduced a ban on the transfer of Russian children for adoption to US citizens. The original document was signed by President Vladimir Putin on December 28, 2012, the law was a response to the “Magnitsky Act” adopted in the United States.

The new bill, which will expand the “scoundrel’s law” sanctions to citizens of all countries and stateless persons, does not apply to the ban on adoptions – it will still apply only to citizens of the United States.

According to the new “broadening” document, we are talking about a ban on entry into Russia for all foreign citizens and stateless persons who, for example, are involved in violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms and / or have committed crimes against Russian citizens who are abroad, have been kidnapped them, carried out illegal persecution of Russians and so on.

In addition, the new, expanded law will allow the Russian authorities to impose property sanctions against those whom it has convicted of the above crimes. For example, to arrest financial and other assets on the territory of the Russian Federation, to prohibit any transactions with property and investments, to suspend on the territory of the Russian Federation the activities of legal entities (controlled by such foreigners), as well as their powers in the boards of directors or other management bodies of organizations registered in the territory Russia.

This is not the first time that MPs have adopted expansion bills to the “Orphans Law”. In 2020, the amendments to the law allowed the Russian authorities to recognize almost any citizen of the Russian Federation as “foreign agents”.