Russian Supreme Court recommends reducing punishments for coronavirus lockdown violations

People who violate Russia's self-isolation regime but are not suspected of having the coronavirus should receive lesser punishments for their offense, says a new judicial practice review from the Supreme Court, TASS reports.

According to RBC, Russian courts have generally sentenced violations of the self-isolation regime under Section II, Article 6.3 of the Administrative Offenses Code, which outlines hefty fines ranging from 15,000 to 40,000 rubles (between $197 and $525). 

The Supreme Court has now suggested that only people with suspected cases of COVID-19 should be sentenced under this article, as well as the following individuals:

• Persons who recently returned to Russia from abroad
• Persons who have come in contact with an infected person
• Persons who refuse to comply with a mandatory quarantine order from a public health officer
• Persons who have evaded treatment for COVID-19

In other instances, violations of the self-isolation requirements should be considered under the Section I, Article 20.6.1 of the Administrative Offences Code, the Supreme Court suggests. This provides for issuing warnings or lesser fines ranging from 1,000 to 30,000 rubles (a maximum fine of about $394).

On the morning of April 22, Russian officials announced that the country recorded 5,236 new coronavirus infections in the past day, bringing the nation’s total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 57,999 patients. Another 57 people reportedly died from the disease, raising Russia’s total number of fatalities caused by COVID-19 to 513.