MOSCOW, February 11 (RAPSI) – Charges related to organization of and membership in criminal associations were to be brought against businesspersons only if such criminal societies were established specifically with the aim to commit serious and especially serious crimes, the Chair of Supreme Court of Russia Vyacheslav Lebedev said addressing a judicial conference on Tuesday.

Evidence-free accusations of committing such crimes, Lebedev has said, without doubt negatively affect the progress in economic activities. The Supreme Court supports the legislative initiative of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin that founders and managers of legal entities may be held criminally responsible for the organization of and participation in criminal networks only if the legal entity was specifically established for committing serious and especially serious crimes, the Supreme Court Chair has noted.

The Supreme Court holds a judicial conference devoted to the results of the activities of the court system of the Russian Federation in 2019 and discussion of its plans for year 2020.