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Russia proposes criminal penalties for denying genocide of Soviet people

02 February 2026 16:49 (UTC +04:00)

It has been proposed in Russia to introduce criminal penalties for denying the genocide of the Soviet people, APA’s Moscow bureau reports.

The draft law was submitted by a group of MPs from the United Russia party.

The document proposes amendments to the current Articles 243.4 (“damage to military graves”) and 354.1 (“rehabilitation of Nazism”) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

The first article is also proposed to cover crimes related to the desecration of graves and monuments of victims of the genocide of the Soviet people. Under this article, the punishment would be a fine of up to 5 million rubles, compulsory labor, or imprisonment for up to five years.

The MPs also plan to add penalties to Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code for denying the genocide of the Soviet people and insulting the memory of genocide victims. These charges could result in a fine of up to 3 million rubles, compulsory labor, or imprisonment for up to three years.

According to the MPs, attempts to falsify history and justify Nazi ideology are increasing in society, and their draft law aims to strengthen the legal framework for preserving historical memory.