Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved legislation allowing criminal cases to be initiated against individuals designated as "foreign agents" after their first administrative penalty. The text of the law has been published on the official online portal for legal information.
The amendments affected parts 1 and 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code, concerning evasion of obligations prescribed for "foreign agents." Previously, criminal liability under this article required an individual to be fined twice for violations of "foreign agent" activity regulations within one year.
Explanatory materials accompanying the bill stated that the previous mechanism for criminal prosecution insufficiently protected public relations in this sphere.