Russia plans to confiscate assets of people spreading 'fake news' about the military

The speaker of the State Duma (lower house of parliament) of Russia, Vyacheslav Volodin, said on social media on January 20 that the bill would be discussed in the legislature on January 22. According to Russian state media, the bill received support from all major factions in parliament.

“Anyone who tries to destroy Russia and betray this country will receive appropriate punishment and compensate the country with their property,” Volodin said on Telegram, according to Reuters.

Nga dự tính tịch thu tài sản của người tung 'tin giả' về quân đội- Ảnh 1. — Volunteers joining the Russian army prepare to leave for Ukraine on January 17.

Mr Volodin said the law was aimed at punishing "scoundrels" who "threw mud at the country, servicemen and officers serving in the special military operation", as Moscow calls the war in Ukraine.

The crime of spreading "false information" about the military already carries a maximum prison sentence of up to 15 years in Russia, according to AFP.

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Under the bill to be discussed, information about Russia's military activities in Ukraine that does not come from official government sources could be considered "false" and the act of disseminating such information could be prosecuted.

A Russian activist was sentenced to three years in prison on January 18 after a court found him guilty of “discrediting” the country’s military in a social media post.

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