MOSCOW, July 4 - RAPSI. The Criminal Code presently envisages the possibility of trying counterfeit medicine producers and distributors for attempted murder, according to lawyers polled by the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Wednesday.

State Duma Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Committee head Irina Yarovaya said on Tuesday that the fraud and trademark infringement charges recently brought against a criminal group that produced counterfeit medicine for seriously-ill patients do not match the gravity of their crime. In her opinion, their conduct is "attempted murder."

The committee should seek to re-categorize the offense, she said.

Meanwhile, Uskov and Partners lawyer Mikhail Rodionov holds that the crusade against counterfeit medicine should be based on enforcing the law rather than adopting new legislation.

He stressed that nothing prevents cases from being opened against counterfeit medicine producers today for attempted murder. Making Criminal Code articles more specific would only help individuals accused of other offenses to escape responsibility for their crimes.

In a conversation with RAPSI, defense attorney Ruslan Zakolyuzhny concurred that the Criminal Code provisions today are sufficient to qualify such crimes as attempted murder.