MOSCOW, January 12 (RAPSI) – Members of Russia’s Federation Council propose to change the Criminal Code and introduce liability for inducement to commit suicide and providing help with committing suicide, RIA Novosti reported on Thursday.

According to proposed changes, such actions, including ones conducted through the use of Internet, should be punishable by up to two years in prison. If these crimes are targeting children or are committed by a group of co-conspirators, punishment for such actions may result in 3-5 years of imprisonment. Inducing to suicide may come in form of persuasion, bribery, fraud, provision of information that aims to present suicide in attractive light. Media and telecommunication networks are cited as one of potential sources for such information. Also inducing to suicide includes suicide advice, instructions, provision of tools and instruments of committing suicide

Russian Criminal Code currently reads that “incitement of a person to commit or attempt to commit suicide by means of threats, cruel treatment of a person, or systematic denigration of the human dignity of the victim - shall be punishable by restraint of liberty for a term of up to three years, or by compulsory labor for a term of up to five years, or by deprivation of liberty for the same term”.

A criminal case was opened in May after several Russian media outlets reported about so-called Groups of Death, numerous groups where young people were encouraged to kill themselves.

Investigators claim that from December 2013 to May 2016 eight Groups of Death were registered on Vkontakte network. Fifteen teenagers from various regions of Russia were members of these groups and committed suicide. Five more did not go through with it.

Searches were conducted in ten regions of Russia.

Philipp Budeykin, aka Philipp Fox, an administrator of a closed group on social network Vkontakte stands charged with inciting teenagers to commit suicide. About ten people testified in the case against Budeykin who was arrested on November 15. He is to stay in detention until May 15.