Law & Legislation

Putin signs law making swearing in the media illegal

President Vladimir Putin has signed a law introducing fines for obscene language used in the media, the Kremlin website reports on Monday. The new federal law "introduces administrative penalties for the production and distribution of media products containing obscene language," the statement reads.

11:27 08.04.2013

Constitutional Court allows regions to pay deputies reasonable severance packages

Regional legislatures should consider the region's financial standing when awarding severance benefits to local deputies, according to a Constitutional Court ruling reported by RIA Novosti on Friday.

14:09 05.04.2013

Russia cracks down on Internet piracy

The government has instructed the agencies concerned to review the Culture Ministry's bill which proposes to allow the pretrial blocking of pirated content.

12:42 05.04.2013

US congressman proposes 280 names to go on the Magnitsky list

Jim McGovern (D-MA), one of the original sponsors of the Magnitsky Act, has forwarded the presidential administration his own list of 280 Russian officials he believes should be on the State Department's Magnitsky list.

12:08 05.04.2013

Ten-year entry ban proposed for immigration law violators

Foreigners who repeatedly violated Russian immigration rules will be banned from entering the country for 10 years.

17:16 04.04.2013

State Duma to consider bill banning non-procedural motions

A bill has been submitted to the State Duma aimed at banning non-procedural motions, according to a government resolution posted online on Thursday.

13:11 04.04.2013

Football hooligans to be prohibited from attending games for 4 years

The Russian Football Union believes that the duration of bans on attending games, which are to be included in the law on sports fans, should be increased to up to four years.

12:03 03.04.2013

Regions receive right to cancel direct gubernatorial elections

President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting Russia's regions the right not to hold direct gubernatorial elections.

17:55 02.04.2013

Fine for killing tigers raised to over $35,000

Fines killing tigers, leopards, snow leopards and northern falcons have been raised to 1.1 million rubles ($35,390), the Natural Resources Ministry reported on Monday, citing the new norms for calculating environmental damages that became effective on March 31.

16:10 01.04.2013

Bill imposing luxury car tax reaches lower house of Russia's parliament

The government has submitted to the State Duma amendments to the Tax Code, introducing an additional luxury tax on cars worth over 5 million rubles ($162,000) that was earlier approved by the government's legislative commission.

15:03 01.04.2013

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