Law & Legislation

State Duma passes amnesty draft in first reading

The State Duma on Tuesday passed in a first reading the amnesty draft submitted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The amnesty is arranged to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

12:35 17.12.2013

Russian lawmakers mull prison terms for Ponzi scheme organizers

The State Duma Committee on Civil, Criminal, Commercial and Procedural Law on Monday adopted a bill introducing criminal punishment for organizers and managers of financial pyramid schemes.

12:52 16.12.2013

State Duma proposes banning NGOs and media funded from abroad

In a speech at a State Duma plenary meeting on Friday, Alexei Kazakov (A Just Russia), member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, proposed a ban of media outlets and public organizations across Russia that are involved in political activity and are funded from abroad.

14:12 13.12.2013

Offshore companies to be excluded from Russian state procurement bids

A bill excluding companies registered in the offshore zones from participating in Russian state procurement bids will be submitted to the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of Parliament, in the nearest future.

19:06 12.12.2013

Lawmakers propose mandatory Russian for migrant laborers

Lawmaker from the Liberal Democratic Party proposed that all conversations between migrant laborers during working hours should be held in Russian, RIA Novosti reports on Thursday.

18:12 12.12.2013

Uruguay legalizes growth, sale, consumption of marijuana – report

Uruguay legalized the growth, sale, and consumption of marijuana in a landmark legislative move Tuesday, Reuters reported. The law will reportedly be implemented in 120 days, and registered users are expected to be able to purchase marijuana in licensed pharmacies next April.

16:22 11.12.2013

Putin submits non-violent crime amnesty bills to State Duma

Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted two amnesty drafts targeting those convicted of having committed non-violent crimes to the State Duma, the Kremlin press office said in a statement.

10:42 10.12.2013

Non-violent crime amnesty bill may be submitted to Duma this week – report

A draft amnesty decree targeting those convicted of having committed non-violent crimes may be submitted to the State Duma within a week. The amnesty is arranged to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

13:50 06.12.2013

Transnistrian leader proposes using Russian legislation

Transnistrian President Yevgeny Shevchuk has submitted a bill to parliament on introducing Russian legislation in the breakaway republic.

13:55 05.12.2013

US federal court declares City of Detroit eligible for bankruptcy protection

The US city of Detroit, Michigan was deemed eligible Tuesday by a US federal court for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, local media outlet Detroit Free Press reported.

20:34 03.12.2013

Top news

Russian courts allowed not to implement rulings of Europe's human rights court

Russia's Supreme Court proposed not to implement rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the provisions of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR).

12:53 09.12.2025

Redomiciliation stalls: How sanctions are shaping new practices for Russian companies

The mechanism for redomiciliating foreign companies to Russian jurisdiction, in effect since 2018, has recently encountered serious obstacles. Taking into account the background of sanctions-related restrictions introduced in 2022 through 2025, it has become extremely difficult to achieve the goal. The situation gave rise to the phenomenon of dual domicile and led to a rise in the number of new litigations, both in Russia and abroad.

12:32 09.12.2025

Soldiers jailed for killing US journalist Russell Bentley

A military court in Donetsk sentenced three soldiers to up to 12 years in prison for torturing and killing Russell Bentley, a 63-year-old U.S. national who collaborated with Sputnik news agency.

14:05 08.12.2025