State Duma approves 'protection of Russians' abroad using military

The State Duma of Russia, in its first reading, passed a bill allowing the use of armed forces abroad to protect Russians facing judicial prosecution, by decision of the president.

This was reported on the website of the lower chamber of the Russian parliament.

A total of 413 deputies voted in favor of the bill, with no votes against or abstentions. The amendments to the law propose to grant the President of the Russian Federation the right to 'extraterritorial use' of armed forces 'to protect Russian citizens who are arrested, detained, or subjected to criminal or other prosecution by decisions of foreign courts or international judicial bodies in which Russia does not participate.'

The bill was prepared by the Ministry of Defense and applies only to the actions of courts in which Russia does not participate and whose jurisdiction is not based on an international treaty with Russia or a resolution of the UN Security Council.

At the same time, in the explanatory note, the authors of the initiative acknowledge that the federal law 'On Security' already provides for similar duties of the president to protect Russian citizens. The proposed changes are introduced 'to develop this norm,' the document states. The authors do not specify which specific situations might lead to such measures.

Source: DW