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Manila Bulletin devider World devider Putin signs law on seizing assets of Ukraine offensive critics

Putin signs law on seizing assets of Ukraine offensive critics

Published Feb 14, 2024 02:18 pm

MOSCOW, Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed into force a law allowing authorities to confiscate assets from those convicted of speaking out against the Kremlin's Ukraine offensive.
 

Moscow has banned criticism of its grinding offensive and harshly punishes those who publicly oppose it, having adopted a range of strict laws after sending troops to Ukraine in February 2022.

The law enables authorities to seize money, property, assets and valuables from those convicted of criticising the offensive.

It could potentially target critical Russian exiles who fled their country but still have property back home.

The Kremlin insisted the law had "absolutely" nothing to do with Soviet-style confiscations and said fears it could be misused in practice were "groundless".

"Together with you, we will have the opportunity to evaluate the enforcement of the law in practice," its spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday.

He added it would be "groundless" to express any concerns beforehand.

Putin signed the document two weeks after Russia's parliament, the Duma, backed the bill.

Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said last month that the law targets "scoundrels and traitors, those who today spit on the backs of our soldiers, who have betrayed their homeland".

Moscow regularly brands the hundreds of thousands of Russians who left their country in protest over the military campaign as traitors.

The law comes into force ahead of the second anniversary of the Ukraine offensive and a month before Russia's presidential election.

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