Draft bill proposes a sharp increase of fines against LGBTQI people
Draft bill stipulating fines up to 10 mln rubles for propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations submitted to State Duma
Interfax (07.06.2022) – https://bit.ly/3xv7oud – A bill introducing administrative penalties for propagating non-traditional sexual relations in Russia and increasing current fines for such offenses with regard to minors was submitted to the State Duma on Tuesday.
The legislative assembly of Sevastopol introduced the relevant draft document to the lower house of the Russian parliament.
The authors of the bill propose adding a new article to the Administrative Offenses Code of the Russian Federation. This new provision deals with “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations in the form of disseminating information aimed at forming non-traditional sexual mindsets, making non-traditional sexual relations more attractive, promoting a distorted vision of the social equivalence of traditional and non-traditional sexual relations, or imposing such information about non-traditional sexual relations that sparks interest in such relations – unless such actions constitute a criminal offense.”
According to their legislative initiative, offenders will face administrative fines ranging from 40,000 – 50,000 rubles (currently 4,000 – 5,000 rubles) if they are individuals, 100,000 – 500,000 rubles (currently 40,000 – 50,000 rubles) if they are officials, and one million to five million rubles (currently 800,000 – one million rubles) if they are legal entities.
If such actions take place among minors, relevant administrative fines would be from 50,000 – 100,000 rubles (currently 4,000 – 5,000 rubles) for individuals, up to 500,000 rubles (currently 40,000 – 50,000 rubles) for officials, and up to five million rubles (currently 800,000 – one million rubles) for legal entities.
If such offenses are committed using mass media or the Internet, the bill suggests that administrative fines from 100,000 to 500,000 rubles be imposed on individuals, from 500,000 to one million rubles on officials, and up to ten million rubles on legal entities.
If a foreign citizen or stateless person commits such offenses, they will face an administrative fine of 40,000 – 100,000 rubles and an administrative deportation from the Russian Federation or up to 15 days of administrative arrest followed by administrative deportation.
The same actions committed by a foreigner or stateless person with any involvement of mass media or using the Internet will carry an administrative fine ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 rubles with administrative deportation from Russia or up to 15 days of administrative arrest followed by deportation.
The authors of the draft legislation explain in a memo that no provision of the bill “implies any interference in the sphere of individual autonomy, including sexual self-determination of a person, or is intended to ban or officially condemn non-traditional sexual relations, or restricts any impartial public discussion about the legal status of sexual minorities or precludes any representatives of those from expressing their stances on these issues by any means permissible under the law or defending their rights and legitimate interests.”
Photo credits: Wikimediea