Kremlin bans citizens from calling for sanctions against Russia after denying plans to institute martial law
Russia’s Duma has introduced a new law to ban citizens from calling for sanctions to be imposed on Russia, and said those found guilty may be forced into “obligatory labour” for up to three years.
Russians who call for sanctions to be imposed on Russia, over its invasion of Ukraine, could face fines of up to 500,000 rubles (£3,400) and be imprisoned for up to three years, after Russia’s State Duma adopted a draft law.
According to Russia’s state news agency Tass, the law will make it illegal to call for sanctions to be imposed on the Russian Federation, Russian citizens, or Russian legal entities.
Those found guilty of calling for sanctions to be imposed on Russia could be forced into “obligatory labour” for up to three years.
The new law comes after the Kremlin denied that it is planning to institute martial law, following reports that Russians are leaving the country due to fears of a military clampdown.
In response to claims that Russia is set to put in place martial law in certain regions of the Federation and ban men of conscription age from leaving the country, Kremlin spokesperson Dmirty Peskov said the reports were “fake news.”
“This is fake news, all this is circulating in social networks and then citizens resend this to each other,” Peskov said according to Tass.
“One should treat all this information very carefully and should not fall victim to ordinary rumors and fraud.”