Putin Signed Bill to Ban All Forms of Cruelty to Animals

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On Thursday, according to documents uploaded to the official online database of Russian legislative information, President V V Putin signed a decree on responsible treatment of animals outlawing all forms of cruelty to animals and established rules of pet ownership. The law was introduced in 2010 to the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, the RF Gosduma, and took eight years for passage. The law contains basic principles of pet ownership, based on responsible, ethical, and humane treatment of animals. It also streamlines the rights and responsibilities of federal, regional, and municipal authorities on the issue of pet ownership. The law establishes rules of ownership and use of animals, and of their protection against cruel treatment. Besides, it outlaws the propaganda of cruel treatment of animals and sets forth requirements for ownership of pets and service animals, as well as for their use in cultural and entertaining events.

Bans and Restrictions

The new law prohibits free and uncontrolled movement of animals in areas with road traffic, in lifts, and in other common areas of residential buildings, as well as in yards, recreational areas, playgrounds, and sporting grounds. From now on, owners must clean the waste left by their pet in those areas. Now, municipal authorities can prohibit animal walks in certain zones. The document also stipulates that dogs of potentially dangerous breeds can take walks only with a muzzle and on a leash. The only exception is when a dog walks on restricted territory belonging to its owner and marked with a warning sign. The Russian government will compile a list of those dangerous breeds. The law also defines the legal status of animal shelters and sets rules for establishing, keeping, and using them. From now on, anyone capturing stray animals must record it with a camera and make public all information about them. The document also outlaws petting zoos and animal fights, as well as keeping animals in bars and restaurants.

28 December 2018

TASS

http://tass.com/society/1038276

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ROK President Moon to Visit Russia This week

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Yonhap News Agency reported, citing an anonymous presidential administration official, that ROK President Moon Jae-in will pay a three-day state visit to Russia later this week to meet President Putin. The two presidents will meet on Thursday, shortly after the ROK leader’s arrival in Moscow. This’ll be Moon’s first visit to the Russian capital since his election in May 2017 and the first state visit by a ROK President to Russia since 1999. Most expect Moon and Putin to pay special attention to the DPRK nuclear issue during the summit. Yonhap quoted the anonymous official:

Russia made significant contributions to efforts to denuclearise the DPRK, it also played a significant role in pressuring it, considering its economic relationship with the DPRK. In addition, the visit should help promote strategic cooperation between the two countries to establish peace in Northeast Asia amidst positive developments in security conditions and efforts to denuclearise the Korean peninsula.

Whilst in Moscow, Moon will also meet with Chairman of the RF Government D A Medvedev and other high-ranking officials. He’ll also be the first ROK President to address the RF Gosduma (lower house of the RF Federal Assembly). Later on, Moon will travel to Rostov-on-Don to attend the FIFA World Cup match between the ROK and Mexico before returning home on Saturday.

18 June 2018

TASS

http://tass.com/world/1009968

RF Gosduma Passes Law Imposing Counter-Sanctions Against the USA and Unfriendly States

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The RF Gosduma passed the final third reading of a law on counter-sanctions against the USA and other unfriendly states. The law stipulates that the Russian President could provide the government with the right to impose restrictions, provided they don’t apply to vital supplies without analogues produced in Russia or other countries. The President could make decisions on sanctions based on proposals submitted by the Security Council. At the same time, the government could remove these restrictions in case the situation causing the introduction of sanctions should change. The document read:

The federal law aims to protect the interests and safety of Russia, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens, from unfriendly actions by the USA and other states, which may take the form of political and economic sanctions on Russia, Russian citizens, and legal entities, as well as from other actions posing a threat to Russia’s territorial integrity and aimed at destabilising the economic and political situation in the country.

A group of lawmakers led by RF Gosduma Chairman V V Volodin initiated the proposal.

The second reading of the bill omitted a reference to specific industries, goods, and services, and reduced the list of possible actions from 16 to six. Russia could impose counter-sanctions on unfriendly countries, organisations under their jurisdiction, whether directly or indirectly controlled by those countries or affiliated with them, as well as on those countries’ officials and citizens. Companies from the USA and other unfriendly states, and those controlled by or affiliated with them, couldn’t take part in contracts for government purchases or for the privatisation of state property. The Russian cabinet would have the right to halt cooperation with unfriendly states, and with organisations controlled by or affiliated with them. The government could also ban and limit the export of goods and raw materials from the USA and other unfriendly states. However, restrictions wouldn’t apply to goods that Russian and foreign citizens bring from abroad for personal use. The law would take effect on the day of its official publication.

22 May 2018

TASS

http://tass.com/politics/1005493

Bill Recommending Life Sentences for Paedophiles Submitted to Gosduma

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On Wednesday, Gosduma Deputy Speaker Irina Yarovaya, who heads a group in the Gosduma working on a draft law proposing life imprisonment for convicted paedophiles, said:

The bill specifies that sexual offences against children under 14 that result in severe damage to their health will be punishable by life imprisonment. Such crimes get reported later in time because people prefer to keep them secret, while children facing continuous harm are psychologically distraught. This is the reason why the bill extends the statute of limitations for crimes against minors until they come of age. The bill stipulates that when those living together with kids and teenagers or those responsible for their upbringing, education, and protection of their rights commit such crimes, it’s an additional aggravating factor. The bill also considers spreading pornography amongst children over the internet an aggravating factor and stipulates liability for coercing minors into sexual acts via the internet. We assume that a psychologist may be present as investigators question children.

Russian government backs bill to crack down on paedophiles

14 February 2018

TASS

http://tass.com/society/990001