Members of the Russian State Duma, representing the ruling party “United Russia”, have submitted amendments to the law, which provide for criminal liability for insulting veterans of the so-called Great Patriotic War.
MEPs have also called for the spread of false news about veterans to be a form of Nazi rehabilitation.
Among the authors of this initiative are Deputy Speaker Irina Jarovaya and Chairman of the Defense Committee Vladimir Shamanov.
According to Shamanov, the prepared amendments to the law provide for real prison sentences in “especially serious cases”.
He also called on other groups to support this proposal.
“No one should ever go unpunished for crimes that, in the sense of any normal person, are morally disgusting and criminal in nature,” Jarovaya said.
She added that under the constitutional amendments adopted in the summer, the “indisputable moral value of the work done during the war” had been recognized.
Gennady Zyuganov, the leader of the alleged opposition communists, said in a conversation with the radio station “Echo of Moscow” that the ruling party’s proposal was “useful”.
Zjuganovs added that the lack of respect for veterans is largely related to the current education system.
In January, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly “recommended” that the State Duma draft a law banning the Soviet Union from being publicly equated with Nazi Germany.
The Kremlin owner has expressed a wish for the relevant bill to be approved by parliament already during the spring session.
Relevant amendments to the law “on the perpetuation of the victory of the Soviet people” in the so-called Great Patriotic War were approved by the State Duma in the first reading on February 10.
The proposals of the “United Russia” faction have been prepared for the second reading of the draft law.
Opposition politicians Alexei Navalny were found guilty of “slandering” a World War II veteran on Saturday by a Babushkin district court in Moscow.
The veteran has filmed a promotional video in support of last summer’s constitutional amendments that will allow Putin to remain in power until 2036.
Navalny posted the video on Twitter, calling the veteran and other people in the video a disgrace to the state, “conscientious people” and traitors.
The court fined Navalnye 850,000 rubles (9,474 euros) for this “offense.”
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