Only Naturalized Russians Can Have Citizenship Revoked if Deemed Terrorists

Only terrorists who have acquired Russian citizenship through means other than by birth can be denationalized, the head of the Russian parliament’s lower chamber security and anti-corruption committee said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The set of draft bills aimed at tightening counter-terrorism legislation was submitted to the Russian parliament in April. The amendments to be discussed today include a list of norms, such as introducing criminal liability for people who fail to inform the authorities about their knowledge of terrorist acts.

"As for the deprivation of citizenship, it refers only to people, who have acquired Russian citizenship but who are not Russian citizens by birth," Irina Yarovaya told journalists before a discussion of a proposed set of counter-terrorism amendments to the country's legislation in the Russian parliament.

According to the procedure to acquire Russian citizenship, involvement in extremist or terrorist activities is grounds for its unconditional revocation, Yarovaya noted.

"That's why, as [terrorism-related] crime has a protracted nature, if after citizenship is granted, facts of such criminal activity emerge, then, the state and society should have the right to cancel the previously awarded right and withdraw the earlier decision," Yarovaya stressed.

The age of criminal liability for persons involved in terrorists activities could be decreased from 16 to 14, according to the new amendments.