Opponents of a new bill proposed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stipulating harsher punishment for terrorists and their "backers," fear that it might be applied to those who had no intention of aiding in terrorism, a Russian leading business daily said on Tuesday.
Medvedev proposed imposing harsher punishments for terrorism and has submitted a bill to Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, outlining amendments to the criminal code.
It stipulates increasing the length of sentences for those found guilty of terrorism, or the promotion or public incitement of terrorist activities.
Kommersant said the bill sparked fears that if it is adopted without amendments, then among "backers" who deserve a prison term may be those who had neither intent nor an idea of helping to commit a terrorist act.
A Just Russia deputy Gennadiy Gudkov said that the bill does not outline such term as "intent," which seems to him to be wrong. He said a person might be declared to be an accomplice of terrorists only if it is proven in a court that the person helped with intent to commit a terrorist act.
Currently, the Russian law says that abetting a crime is a deliberate joint participation of two or more persons in committing an intentional crime.
The term "aiding terrorists" could be misconstrued to mean giving accommodations to or feeding, or washing the clothes of individuals who the purveyor of those particular services had no idea were terrorists at the time.
Russian Human Rights Institute director Valentin Gefter said that anyone would be tried for anything under backing terrorism as he explains under new amendments there will not be a need to prove intent.
Following two suicide bombings in Moscow's subway in March, which killed 40 and injured over 100, many Russian politicians have said it is necessary to increase criminal liability and preventive measures against terrorism.
In April, a new bill that allows "preventive measures" against individuals committing extremist actions was submitted to the Russian parliament, fueling fears among opposition parties of a revival of Soviet-era practices.
Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus republics, especially Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, have seen an upsurge of militant violence lately. Experts see the poor social and economic situation in the region as the main reason for the numerous terrorist attacks in the country.
MOSCOW, July 20 (RIA Novosti)
