the discrediting of any participant in the “special operation” will be sanctioned – RT in French

A new law signed by the Russian president provides for penalties of up to seven years in prison for those who “discredit” any participant in the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin signed, on March 18, a law stipulating “criminal responsibility for the discrediting of any participant in the” special military operation “”, reports the Tass agency.

Until now, the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provided for liability only for actions aimed at discrediting the action of the Russian armed forces abroad. From now on, any action aimed at discrediting a participant in the Russian military operation in Ukraine, “including volunteer units, organizations or persons participating in the performance of the tasks assigned to the armed forces” according to Tass, will lead to criminal sanctions. The maximum penalty for this type of offense will be seven years in prison.

As a reminder, Russia launched a military offensive on February 24, 2022, in particular emphasizing the need to “demilitarize” Ukraine and bring relief to the populations of Donbass, whose local authorities had been in conflict with Kiev since 2014. Ukrainian authorities and their Western allies have denounced a war of invasion that did not respond to any provocation on the part of Kiev.

In March 2022, Vladimir Putin signed a law punishing prison sentences of up to 15 years for “false information” about the action of Russian state bodies abroad, particularly with regard to the offensive. ongoing military in Ukraine.