Russia’s State Duma passes law allowing assets of emigrated Russians to be frozen over offenses ‘against the interests of the Russian Federation’

Russia’s State Duma has passed, in its second and third readings, a bill that would allow Russians who have left the country to be prosecuted for offenses “directed against the interests of the Russian Federation.”

The legislation lists the articles in the administrative code under which emigrated Russians may be charged — including for failing to pay an administrative fine imposed under those articles on time.

The law also rewrites Article 27.20 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, which previously governed asset freezes for legal entities, extending the measure to individuals who have committed, outside Russia, offenses under the articles listed above.

The independent Russian news outlet Mediazona explains that under previous law a person’s assets could be frozen only after bailiffs initiated enforcement proceedings. Under the new law, assets may be seized when a report of an offense is drawn up — as a precautionary measure.

The explanatory note to the bill said asset freezes would be applied at the administrative proceedings stage to prevent individuals from evading accountability.

“Those who have fled abroad and from there, on the money of Western sponsors, call for terrorism and extremism, justify Nazism, and insult our soldiers and officers must understand that they will be held accountable — for criminal offenses and for administrative violations alike,” State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said in comments on the bill.