The party is coming to its end. Underworld bosses can go to prison for the rest of their lives for so-called crime boss meetings. The State Duma adopted amendments to the Criminal Code that considerably toughen the sanctions on participants in organized criminal gangs. Now, they can be sentenced to up to 20 years of prison for meeting with their accomplices. Leaders of criminal gangs can get a life sentence.
Vitaly Karmazin figured out how the law was adopted and whether underworld bosses will flee from the country.
So-called code-bound criminals are having hard times. Now, they can't drink tea in a restaurant and discuss the redistribution of power. The State Duma adopted new amendments to Article 210 of the Civil Code, proposed by the president at the third reading.
Otari Arshba, deputy of the State Duma: "We're speaking about higher efficiency in the fight against organized crime. Let me remind you about the substance in brief. We've introduced a special penalty for underworld bosses".
In essence, now they treat so-called leaders of organized criminal gangs as terrorists, hostage takers, hijackers, organizers of armed insurrections, and those who make an attempt on a statesman or a public figure.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, deputy of the State Duma: "They argued whether we have organized crime or not so much. When two crooks unite, it's organized crime. They always work in groups, in gangs".
Now, underworld bosses can't get a suspended sentence or a sentence that's under the lower limit. They did it sometimes when a criminal made a plea deal and gave all of his accomplices away. Now, if an ordinary member of an organized crime gang appear at the so-called crime boss meeting where they discuss crimes, he can be sentenced to 12 to 20 years of imprisonment. If a person who's the leader of a criminal gang is detained there, he can receive a life sentence. However, we need to see how the amendments will work in practice.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, deputy of the State Duma: "A person who occupies a senior position in the criminal hierarchy... And where is that position, by the way? A list of all of the positions as it isn't civil service. That's why quirky lawyers will do their best to help their clients get away with it".
It seems that Zakhary Kalashov's lawyers, as known as Young Shakro, tried to do it. When the judge read out operatives' reports that it's Kalashov, who is the leader of the criminal world of Russia, the attorneys questioned it and asked if a general meeting of the criminal world was held.
Harry Mirzoyan, Zakhary Kalashov's lawyer: "After Aslan Usoyan, known as Grandpa Hassan, died, Zakhariy Kalashov held... Wait, you should provide proof. Are there minutes of the general meeting of the criminal world; the chair, the secretary, the voting, or what?"
But it's a matter of proof, that is, the work of investigators. Intelligence services know well who is in the criminal hierarchy, and what positions they hold. Especially since, according to the operatives, there's an unspoken rule in the criminal world: when a so-called code-bound criminal is asked about his position, he should confirm his status. Now, a detainee can face up to 15 years of prison merely for holding a senior position in a criminal hierarchy.
Alexander Hinstein, deputy of the State Duma: "It's groups like code-bound criminals, first and foremost, that these amendments are targeted against. This group is under permanent control by operatives of the relevant services. 36 code-bound criminals were detained in Russia last year alone. 8 code-bound criminals were expelled from Russia. 14 of them were recognized undesirable aliens".
According to Alexander Hinstein, colleagues from the neighboring countries already contact Russian law enforcement bodies and ask whether they should prepare for migration of so-called code-bound criminals from Russia to other countries. The deputy says that they should.
However, the new amendments apply not only to the classic criminal world. For example, Senator Rauf Arashukov who was removed from office, and his father Raul, have also been accused under Article 210. So, the new law applies to any participant or leader of a criminal group. The majority of the deputies voted in favor of the amendments.
"The federal law is adopted. 400 deputies voted in favor. Nobody voted against. One deputy abstained".
Vitaly Karmazin for Vesti Call Center.
