The Federation Council has enacted legislation that imposes life sentences for treason and strengthens penalties for terrorism-related crimes. A strong majority of 156 senators supported the measure, with a single vote against.
Under the new provisions, the maximum penalty for treason rises to 20 years in prison. The amendments to the Penal Code, proposed by the government in November 2022, broaden the scope of accountability for acts tied to terrorism and for offenses that threaten the constitutional order.
Specifically, the maximum term for a “Terrorist act” increases from 15 to 20 years. The minimum sentence for international terrorism rises from 10 to 12 years, while the maximum remains life imprisonment.
Penalties for involvement in terrorist activities are also heightened. The minimum punishment for membership or participation in terrorist crimes goes from five to seven years, and for organizing or joining a terrorist group, the term climbs from 10 to 15 years.
The document also expands liability for acts aimed at sabotaging or damaging critical transport infrastructure, with sentences potentially reaching 20 years in prison, up from the previous 15-year cap.
Assistance in the execution of international and foreign decisions
A new article, 284.3, adds a prison sentence of up to five years for aiding the implementation of decisions issued by foreign authorities and international organizations with which Russia does not participate. An illustrative example is the International Criminal Court.
To facilitate the enforcement of such external decisions on the criminal prosecution of Russian officials or military personnel, penalties may include fines from 300 thousand to 1 million rubles or a prison term of up to five years, along with the deprivation of the right to engage in certain activities.
Attacks on protected persons
The Federation Council’s innovations significantly toughen punishment under article 360, which covers assaults on individuals or institutions granted international protection. Liability now extends to both actual acts of violence and threats to commit such acts.
Imprisonment for these offenses ranges from seven to 12 years, compared with the previous 2 to 6 years. When the act is carried out with an intent to ignite war or worsen international relations, penalties rise to 12 to 20 years of imprisonment, up from five to 10 years.
Revocation of acquired citizenship
Changes to the citizenship law allow the removal of benefits for service members who desert, advocate violations of territorial integrity, or lose citizenship due to extremism. The law also enables the forfeiture of citizenship obtained through personal acts that advocate harming a public figure’s life, supporting warfare, or organizing armed rebellion to forceful changes to the constitutional order.
At the same time, the naturalization criteria are streamlined, expanding eligibility categories to more than twenty groups.
Overall, the council reviewed roughly fifty legal measures. Among them was the recognition of veteran status for individuals who have taken part in hostilities in Donbass since 2014 and for those who served in military operations under contract with private military companies. The discussions reflected a broad effort to define national security measures while clarifying the framework for civil and criminal accountability across the state apparatus.