MOSCOW, February 28 (RAPSI) – The Supreme Court of Russia has recognized a bill introducing punishment for inducement to commit suicide as a justified initiative, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday.

In mid-February, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Irina Yarovaya announced that the draft law had been sent Russian government and Supreme Court for obtaining an official opinion of it.

The bill envisages criminal penalty for inducing minors to suicide; assistance in committing suicide and creating so-called Groups of Death on the Internet and suicidal games.

Under the proposed amendments, such actions, including ones conducted through the use of the 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 named among potential sources for such information. Inducing to suicide also includes suicide advice, instructions, provision of tools and instruments of committing suicide.

Involvement of children into deathful activities such as train hitching by adults would be also qualified as a crime, according to the bill. The draft law would oblige Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor to notify the Interior Ministry of the revealed prohibited content for efficient suppression of criminal activity against children’s lives.

According to Yarovaya, the initiative has been already supported by the Investigative Committee, Roskomnadzor, Russia’s Interior Ministry, Ministry of Education and State Duma relevant committees.