Leading a plot to overthrow the Russian government may result in life behind bars
President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Saturday giving Russian courts the ability to sentence organizers of armed rebellions to life in prison.
The previous version of the regulation specified that courts should sentence them to between 12 and 20 years. The amendments published by the official legal website of the Russian government differentiate between regular participants and masterminds of attempts to overthrow the government using armed force. If such a plot leads to death or other unforeseen consequences, it says tougher punishments should be applied, including a life sentence.
The new rules also explicitly state that if a conspirator informs the authorities about a planned rebellion or otherwise acts to mitigate the damage to Russian interests, he or she could be spared legal responsibility.
The law makes people convicted of armed rebellion and terrorism ineligible for early release from prison. It also introduces a new article in the criminal code for foreign nationals and stateless persons who aid and abet enemy activities, undermining Russian national security, and tweaks the wording of the article on state treason which relates to defection.
The Russian parliament adopted the amendments earlier this month. Putin signed them into law as he was cleaning a backlog of paperwork ahead of the New Year, judging by his recent activities. On Thursday and Saturday, the president ratified a total of 84 changes to Russian legislation, the media has counted. He has signed a total of 563 new laws this year.
The late founder of the Wagner private military company, Evgeny Prigozhin, launched a full-scale mutiny, with some troops marching on Moscow in June 2023. He later agreed to stop the advance as part of a deal with the Russian government brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Two months after the abortive takeover attempt, Prigozhin and several other top Wagner operatives were killed in a plane crash not far from Moscow.
The Wagner group had actively participated in the Ukraine conflict, recruiting fighters both in Russia and abroad. It became especially known for capturing the key Donbass stronghold of Artemovsk, known in Ukraine as Bakhmut, in May 2023. However, Prigozhin entered into an open feud with the Russian Defense Ministry, repeatedly accusing it of failing to provide adequate equipment and ammunition.
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