The Russian State Duma passed in the first reading a bill on protecting Russians arrested abroad using the armed forces

The Russian State Duma passed in the first reading a bill that would allow the use of the Armed Forces to protect Russians arrested abroad.

This covers cases where a court acts on behalf of another state without Russia’s involvement, where such a court has no authority under an international treaty with Russia, or under a UN Security Council resolution.

The stated aim of the bill is to protect Russians from unlawful actions by unfriendly states. The Russian government submitted it to the State Duma in March.

The explanatory note states that the president takes measures in accordance with legislation if the decisions and actions of foreign and international bodies contradict the interests and foundations of Russia’s public order.

As Vyacheslav Volodin, the Speaker of the State Duma, emphasized, Western justice has effectively become an instrument of repression against those who are deemed undesirable. He added that ignoring international norms, blatant interference in the affairs of sovereign states, and the unlawful persecution of individuals have become standard practice.