The government approved toughening penalties for desertion and loss of weapons
The government commission on legislative activity conceptually supported the amendments toughening criminal liability for desertion, failure to obey orders and loss of military property in combat conditions.
The author of the initiative, Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee Andrei Kartapolov (United Russia), proposes to introduce new offenses into the Criminal Code (CC) concerning unauthorized abandonment of the battlefield, refusal to use weapons and abandonment of military equipment to the enemy.
At the same time, the government commission expressed a number of comments on the draft law. The draft review notes that the proposed wording — such as “unauthorized abandonment of the battlefield” and “enemy” — does not have clear definitions within the framework of the articles of the Criminal Code under consideration, which may entail problems with law enforcement and “create corruption risks.” In addition, the author did not provide statistical data justifying the inadequacy of the current regulation.
In this regard, the commission recommended that Deputy Kartapolov specify the controversial terms and prescribe clear criteria for exemption from criminal liability. Provided that the document is revised taking these comments into account, the government is ready to support the initiative.