FC Approved Amendments into the Law on Extremism

Today, the Federation Council plenary session approved amendments into the Federal Law "On Counteracting Extremist Activity ", which more precisely formulate the notion of "extremist activity."

In particular, such activity includes public slander of a civil servant who acts in the line of duty. Also, extremist activity includes slander with regard to a functionary if such person is accused of committing an act which contains elements of extremism, or committing grave or especially grave crime. The fact of slander with regard to a functionary must be established by the court. Hindering legitimate activity of state authorities and election committees, or the activity of officials of such agencies, is also recognized as extremism. The use or threat of use, of violence with regard to a representative of state authority is also proposed to be regarded as extremism. The notion of "manifestation of extremism" includes infringement on the life of a state or public official with the view to stop his/her public or political activity, organization of mass riots, acts of hooliganism or vandalism in connection with ideological, political, racial, national or religious activity. The draft law equates to extremism propaganda of exclusiveness, superiority or inferiority of persons on the basis of their religious, social, racial or national belonging. Additionally, the article on extremism covers the production of printed, visual or other materials intended for public use, if they contain extremist slogans. The author of such materials will also be accused of extremism, informs the RIA "Novosti".

It should be noted that human rights activists have repeatedly insisted on the necessity to improve the Federal Law "On Counteracting Extremist Activity ", in particular, to clearly define the term "extremism" which is ambiguously formulated in the law and complicates its application. A mechanism to compile a Federal list of extremist materials was proposed, and liability for denial of Holocaust, as prescribed in the legislation of a number of West European countries, was also envisaged. A sitting of the working group of the RF State Duma Committee on Legislation was held on 27 January, during which the RF SD deputies, together with RF Public Chamber members, human rights activists and experts, discussed the draft law. Later, similar discussion took place at the SD Committee on Security.

Human rights activists think that the "new amendments are going to significantly complicate the work of human rights activists and journalists regularly criticizing certain officials and deputies who make xenophobic or racial and nationalistic statements." "Thus, xenophobically-minded officials in state agencies of various levels will find it easier to escape responsibility and to fix a label of extremism on their opponents," claims the MBHR declaration.

The interpretation of extremism as "hindering legitimate activity of state authorities and election committees, or the legitimate activity of officials of such agencies, combined with violence or threat of violence" will make it possible, as human rights activists claim, to declare any actions of citizens who defend their rights as extremism. Thus meetings and pickets, critical articles in mass media, etc., may be called extremism.

In this connection, human rights activists requested "measures to be taken for a serious and open discussion of the draft law, so as not to allow, for a plausible cause, limitation of democracy and human rights in RF."