MOSCOW, November 15 (RAPSI) – The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, passed a bill mitigating punishment for extremism and incitement of hatred and enmity in the first reading on Thursday. 

The draft law submitted by President Vladimir Putin in October reads that criminal punishment would be imposed for extremist acts in public, on the Internet or media committed repeatedly within a year.

A first extremist violation is to be punished as an administrative offence, in accordance with the Code of Administrative Offences, with fines of up to 500,000 rubles ($7,500) for companies; and fines of up to 20,000 rubles, community service for up to 100 hours or detention for up to 15 days for individuals.

In September, the Supreme Court of Russia in its Plenum resolution explained that courts considering extremism cases should proceed from a level of public danger and hazard mode.

The Criminal Code of Russia attracts a criminal sentence for incitement of enmity but not for reposts on social networks. If a publication is extremist, malice of the repost must be proven, the Supreme Court’s Judge Vladimir Davydov said during the Plenum’s session.

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova in turn stated that criminal sentence including imprisonment is disproportionately tough punishment for unintentional “likes” and reposts.