The State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted amendments to the legislation that prohibit the deprivation of Russian citizenship for residents of the occupied territories of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the new provisions expand the list of crimes for which one can lose Russian citizenship. This is reported by 'Glavkom' referencing Russian media.
The initiative to make citizenship 'inaccessible' for residents of the occupied territories of Ukraine was included in the law that was adopted on July 17 and expands the grounds for the deprivation of Russian citizenship due to the commission of crimes. This decision highlights the 'special status' that the Russian Federation seeks to provide to residents of the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
Changes in the legislation are expected to add about 20 new articles to the list of crimes that can lead to the loss of citizenship. The number of grounds for this will increase to more than 80. Although State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin claims that the new law will ensure national security, human rights defenders and international organizations view such actions as a means to strengthen control and repression.
In recent years, the Russian Federation has pursued a policy of expanding power and control over Ukrainian territories that it considers its own. This law could be another step in that direction, causing outrage among human rights defenders and the international community.