A new bill of amendments to Russia's Criminal Code will decriminalize the smuggling of commercial goods and introduce more lenient punishments for drug addicts caught trafficking.
President Dmitry Medvedev submitted an array of amendments to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, on Tuesday to bring the law up to date.
At present smuggling in commercial goods - goods whose circulation is not prohibited - for tax evasion purposes carries a jail sentence of up to five years.
Under the current law, smuggled goods are subject to confiscation, which "has potential for corruption," an accompanying comment from the presidential administration says.
Another bill will grant freedom to economic criminals if they pay a fine five times the value of the damage caused.
The bill also introduces community service as an alternative to custodial sentences.
Other amendments provide that first time offenders guilty of drug trafficking offenses and suffering from drug addiction may be given suspended sentences if they agree to submit to treatment and a rehabilitation course.
"Depending on the outcome of treatment a person may be exempted from the remaining part of punishment at the discretion of a court," a comment says.
Other amendments to the Criminal Code downgrade the use of offensive words and libel from criminal offenses to administrative violations.
MOSCOW, June 7 (RIA Novosti)
