Reacting to the latest legislative amendments in Russia, which include a new draft law that enables the designation of any community or organization as "extremist" without a court order, and another bill that envisages administrative penalties for simply searching for or accessing "extremist materials" online, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International's Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:

"Once again, the Russian authorities are disguising their relentless persecution of dissent as countering 'extremism' through vague and overly broad legislation, that allows for abusive interpretation and arbitrariness.

"If this 'extremism' bill becomes a law, any group of people - even a private online chat or circle of friends - can be designated and criminalized as 'extremist' if just one member has been convicted under 'extremism' charges, as many government critics have been. This will give law enforcement agencies a seemingly unlimited opportunity to cast the net and prosecute ever more people for even remote associations with so-called 'extremists.'

"Another proposed amendment is equally dangerous. If adopted, it would make searching for or accessing 'extremist' content online punishable by law. Given that in today's Russia 'extremist' materials could be anything from a book 'promoting same-sex relationships' to social media posts by opposition groups, this amendment effectively cuts off Russian society from any information or views deemed 'dangerous' by the authorities.

"These changes are a textbook violation of Russia's international obligations and its own constitution, which guarantees everyone the right to privacy, rights to freedom of association and expression, including access to information. These bills must not become laws."

Background

On 15 July, the State Duma adopted a new package of amendments further tightening Russia's "anti-extremism" legislation. Among the new rules, any group - including informal groups - can now be designated an "extremist organization" if a single member has been convicted of establishment of or participation in an "extremist association" (Article 282.1 of the Criminal Code). This removes the previous requirement for a separate court ruling, effectively allowing authorities to arbitrarily outlaw entire groups based on a prior conviction of a single member.

Separately, lawmakers proposed a new article to the Code of Administrative Offenses, which would fine individuals up to 5,000 rubles (around US$ 65) for "searching for or accessing knowingly extremist materials," including via a VPN. The draft article does not explain how such an activity would be detected, raising serious concerns in relation to the lack of clarity and precision of the criminalized conduct and about potential unlawful surveillance and device access.

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