Relocation under control: how the rules for Russians abroad will change

In the second and third readings, the State Duma adopted laws providing for the introduction of temporary restrictive measures against persons who are outside Russia and evade the execution of the prescribed punishment. The new rules establish the procedure for the application of such measures, a list of possible restrictions, as well as the conditions for their termination. Who will be affected by the changes, what rights may be restricted for persons included in the special register, and how the new mechanism will work — in the Izvestia article.

What happened

On Wednesday, July 22, the State Duma adopted in the second and third, final readings, a law providing for the introduction of temporary restrictive measures against Russians who are outside the country and evade the execution of court-imposed punishment. The document establishes a mechanism for applying special restrictions to citizens who are hiding abroad and do not comply with court decisions that have entered into force.

The new rules apply to persons convicted by a court verdict or brought to administrative responsibility for a number of offenses. In particular, we are talking about violations of the procedure for the activities of a foreign agent and failure to comply with the requirements to eliminate violations, public calls to violate the territorial integrity of Russia, discredit the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation or the activities of government agencies, calls for the imposition of sanctions against Russia, as well as participation in the activities of an undesirable foreign or international organization.

Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, commenting on the initiative during the plenary session, stressed that the adoption of the law would ensure the principle of the inevitability of punishment for those who try to avoid responsibility while outside the country.

"This is a very important decision that will protect the state from scoundrels who have left the country and continue to shit from there, doing everything to harm our citizens and the Russian Federation," he said.

According to Volodin, the law concerns "extremists, traitors to our Motherland, those who for years have been trying to do everything to destroy our state, justify Nazism, insult our soldiers and officers, while hiding from punishment in other states." He also noted that a number of Western countries, in his opinion, provide support to such people.

"They must understand that punishment will come to them in any case," stressed the chairman of the State Duma.

How will the restrictions work?

The use of restrictive measures will be possible only if two conditions are met simultaneously: the Ministry of Internal Affairs must confirm that the citizen is outside of Russia and is evading the execution of the punishment imposed by the court. After that, the Ministry of Justice will decide on its inclusion in a special register. Proposals to add citizens to the list will be sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB, the Federal Bailiff Service, the Federal Tax Service and the Prosecutor General's Office. Information about the persons included in the register will be published on the official website of the Ministry of Justice.

In total, the law provides for 14 time limits. In particular, citizens included in the register will be prohibited from registering as individual entrepreneurs or self-employed, registering rights to real estate and vehicles, as well as making transactions by proxy and using an enhanced qualified electronic signature.

In addition, such persons will be denied the provision of state and municipal services in electronic form, loans and loans, licenses and accreditations. At the same time, previously issued licenses and permits will be suspended until the citizen is excluded from the register.

Some restrictions will apply to banking services. Credit institutions will be prohibited from providing citizens from the registry with access to software for making money transfers. This means that they will not be able to use mobile banking applications and Internet services to transfer funds.

At the same time, the law provides for the freezing of funds and other property of citizens subject to restrictions. In addition, they will be denied notarial services and restricted from receiving consular services outside of Russia.

When will the restrictions cease to apply and how can I log out of the registry?

The restrictions will take effect from the day following the publication of information about the citizen in the register of the Ministry of Justice, and will remain in place until his exclusion from the list.

The Law provides several grounds for termination of the measures. Among them are the cancellation of a verdict or a decision on the imposition of an administrative penalty, the granting of a delay or release from execution of the sentence, the beginning of its execution, the return of a citizen to Russia or his death.

If the grounds for exclusion have already arisen, but the information from the register has not been deleted, the citizen will be able to apply to the Ministry of Justice with a written application. The Agency must review the application within 20 working days and notify the applicant of the decision. In case of refusal, it can be appealed in court.

What will change for property, payments, and relatives

The Law also establishes a special procedure for the disposal of funds of citizens included in the register. To receive payments from budgets of all levels, as well as funds from individuals and legal entities, they will be required to use a special ruble account of an authorized bank. If a citizen does not have such an account, the credit institution will be able to open it without the personal presence of the owner.

At the same time, the document provides mechanisms for protecting the interests of third parties. The interdepartmental commission will be able to assign a monthly allowance to close relatives of a citizen who do not have their own income at the expense of frozen funds or money held in a special account. In addition, persons who have suffered property damage due to a citizen's failure to fulfill his obligations will have the right to demand compensation in court.