The State Duma of the Russian Federation is considering a number of bills aimed at increasing responsibility for actions that the authorities classify as a threat to national security. This was reported by the chairman of the lower house of parliament Vyacheslav Volodin, who emphasized the need to protect the country's interests in the face of external pressure. 

One of the key initiatives is the introduction of criminal liability for calls for sanctions against Russia, as well as for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces, if such actions are committed for selfish reasons or for hire. According to the draft, those found guilty may face a sentence of up to five years in prison with possible confiscation of property. According to the authors of the initiative, such measures will help prevent attempts to undermine the economy and defense capability of the state from the outside. 

In addition, the deputies intend to expand the scope of application of the law on foreign agents. In particular, it is proposed to include in this category persons who assist in the execution of decisions of the International Criminal Court, as well as those who assist foreign states in actions directed against the security of Russia. Another measure will be the recognition as foreign agents of citizens who involve Russians in collecting information about the military-technical activities of the country. 

Special attention is paid to procedural aspects. The bills provide for the possibility of conducting trials against foreign agents and persons who have left the country without their direct participation. This concerns crimes provided for by a number of articles of the Criminal Code, such as the dissemination of false information about the Russian army, the rehabilitation of Nazism, as well as public calls for terrorism and extremism. The authors of the initiative explain this by the need to ensure the inevitability of punishment for those who, while abroad, continue actions that harm the state.