MOSCOW, October 24 - RAPSI. The State Duma has adopted a law in its second and third readings which increases the protection of state secrets, toughens the punishment for their disclosure and imposes criminal liability for the illegal obtainment of secret information.

The document was originally submitted to the State Duma in December 2008 and was adopted in the first reading on September 21, 2012. It raised a number of concerns in society, in particular because the law's provisions are thought to be ambiguous and could potentially result in law enforcement abuse.

The law introduces a new chapter to the Criminal Code, according to which obtaining state secret information by theft, deception, bribery, blackmail, force or threat of violence will be subject to a 200,000 ($6,370) - 500,000 ($15,900) ruble fine, or up to four years imprisonment.

Under the law, any individual who has learnt of state secret information or who has been entrusted with it either for his work or his studies will bear responsibility for its disclosure.

The bills sponsors believe that this means that individuals who came across this kind of data accidentally will not bear criminal responsibility.