MOSCOW, February 10 (RAPSI) – Irina Yarovaya, head of the State Duma's Security and Anti-Corruption Committee and member of ruling party United Russia, proposed bringing charges for theft only if the damage exceeds 5,000 rubles (about $75), RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday.

The proposal does not cover pocket-picking, robbery or hold-ups.

The bill to this effect has been sent to the Supreme Court. After the court provides its opinion, the bill will be forwarded to the State Duma for consideration.

Yarovaya said the Security Committee doubt that the current limit of 1,000 rubles ($15) is serious enough to merit criminal punishment for theft.

She said at a workshop conference of presiding judges that hundreds of thousands of Russians have a criminal record due to this overly strict measure, which can hinder their post-prison socialization or professional career.

“We hope that the Supreme Court will support our initiative to raise the punishable limit for mercenary crimes,” Yarovaya said. “Of course, our initiative doesn’t cover crimes where the value of stolen property is of little significance compared to the manner of the crime. We have proposed the limit so that crimes where the stolen item is worth less than 5,000 rubles would be punishable in accordance with the Administrative Offenses Code.”