It is no secret that Russia is cracking down on critical voices. Now the reprisals are reaching a new dimension: those who think differently should lose not only their freedom, but also their property.
Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly tightened its laws to prevent criticism of the invasion. The alleged spread of false reports about the Russian army is punishable by long prison sentences. The suppression of dissent culminated in the new law on the expropriation of war opponents, which was introduced in parliament early this year and unanimously adopted in the House of Representatives, the House of Representatives, the State Duma and the Federation Council. Duma leader Vyacheslav Volodin described it as a “law against villains”.
Now Russian leader Vladimir Putin has approved the law to confiscate property of war opponents and enemies of the state. The corresponding decree was published on Wednesday in the Russian legal database and states that property obtained through the spread of alleged false information about the Russian military or calls to endanger Russian national security will be seized.
Memories of the dark Stalin era
It is still unclear how it will be applied in practice. “We believe that expressing concerns a priori is unfounded,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of possible criticism.
Peskov denied that it was a new edition of the Soviet law on confiscating property from enemies of the people. Especially in the era of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, hundreds of thousands of Russians were declared enemies of the people, expropriated and imprisoned in camps – or murdered.
Since Russia’s war of aggression began on February 24, 2022, hundreds of thousands of Russians have left their homes. Many celebrities from abroad criticize Putin and his war. Because they cannot be punished with camp prison, there has been a discussion in Russia for some time about how the judiciary can still prosecute these citizens.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
