MOSCOW, July 19 (RAPSI) – The State Duma, the Russian Parliament’s lower house, has passed in the third reading a package of bills permitting to strip convicted terrorists of citizenship and introducing an oath of allegiance to the Russian Federation when obtaining the citizenship. 

The amendments approved by the State Duma introduce the text of the oath to be obligatory given by persons 18 years of age and older wishing to acquire the Russian citizenship.

Besides, a special procedure is to be introduced for Ukrainian citizens submitting documents for obtaining residence permits or Russian citizenship. Instead of providing a certificate confirming the renunciation of their previous citizenship issued by Ukraine, they would be able to present notarized copies of renunciation statement.

Another bill approved by lawmakers regulates more thoroughly the issues relating to the grounds, on which decisions granting Russian citizenship may be revoked. In particular, it is proposed that in case the citizenship is acquired with the aim to undermine the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation manifested via committing, planning, or attempting crimes of terrorist or extremist nature as confirmed by a court ruling, it may constitute a breach of the obligation to comply with the Constitution and the laws of the Russian Federation, and, therefore, be qualified as the presentation of knowingly false statements.

According to the draft law, the Russian citizenship may be withdrawn, for instance, for taking hostages, organization of illegal extremist communities and financing of extremist activities. Final judgements in cases related to crimes of terrorist and extremist nature should be treated as court rulings establishing facts of making knowingly false statements.