Russian government commission endorses amendment to criminalize first offense of ‘inciting hatred’

Russia's Government Commission on Legislative Activities has approved a Justice Ministry initiative to strengthen penalties under the Criminal Code for inciting hatred or enmity when accompanied by the justification, promotion, or threats of violence, according to the newspaper Vedomosti.

The proposed amendments would reportedly affect Part 1 of Article 282. Under current law, criminal penalties are imposed only if the offender has previously faced misdemeanor charges for a similar act. If adopted, the changes would extend criminal liability to even a single offense.

Legal experts who spoke to Vedomosti noted that the initiative would effectively reclassify actions currently treated as misdemeanors under Article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, titled “Incitement of hatred or enmity, as well as the humiliation of human dignity.”

The amendments also propose amending Part 2 of Article 282 to include new aggravating factors such as offenses committed by a group of individuals, a group acting by prior agreement, or an organized group — replacing the current language that only references an “organizing group.” According to legal experts, these changes could lead to an increase in criminal prosecutions over time and would make it easier to prove such cases.