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Church of Scientology participates to the International Ministerial on Freedom of Religion or Belief: London 2022

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Church of Scientology participates to the International Ministerial on Freedom of Religion or Belief: London 2022

On 5 and 6 July, a Ministerial on FoRB took place in London with participation of Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Scientologists, and many others.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDON, July 21, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — On 5 and 6 July, an International Ministerial on Freedom of Religion or Belief occurred in London, hosted by the UK government. The conference brought together governments, parliamentarians, faith and belief representatives and NGOs, to discuss how a global action on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for everyone could be increased.

About 500 delegates were invited to participate, all of them being known actors in the field of FoRB, for this 2-day conference which was held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre. It was the first in-person International Ministerial Conference on this topic since 2019 (the US held the two first ministerial conferences in 2018 and 2019).

The purpose of the conference, coordinated by MP Fiona Bruce, UK Special Envoy on FoRB, and the FCDO team, was to identify what is working in different countries as regards FoRB, explore where and how we can apply new lessons and approaches and inspire the next generation to champion and defend FoRB for everyone all around the world.

Examples of discrimination, persecution and even sometimes genocide based on religion or belief was shared and discussed, and participating governments pledged to act strongly to put an end to violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief all over the world. Civil society and faith-based organizations were associated with the process, and it was duly recognized that only equal cooperation between civil society and governments could bring about a real change in the field of FoRB.

For the Vice-President of the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights, Rev. Eric Roux, who was invited as a delegate: “FoRB is a crucial human right. Often, the state of FoRB in a country tells everything about the respect of other human rights in that same country. Unfortunately, it’s a right which is endangered nowadays in so many parts of the world, would it be through discrimination, persecution or worst, that there is a strong need to build alliances of people of goodwill to defend it and make it a reality on Earth. There is a lot to go. That is why it is of the utmost importance to bring people together on this issue and the fact that the UK government decided to host this event is to be highly commended. It has been an important step towards the establishment of freedom of religion or belief for everyone, everywhere.”

A day after the conference, the UK government organized a meeting with some relevant stakeholders, for a “Strategic Discussion on Next Steps”, to cover scene-setting reflections and practical steps after the Ministerial, where Ivan Arjona, President of the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights, had the chance to exchange views and make proposals with other stakeholders.

The strategic discussion on the next steps meeting, counted among the respondents Mervyn Thomas (Chair of the UK FoRB Forum), Lord Alton of Liverpool (Vice-Chair of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on International FoRB), Greg Mitchell (Chair of the US International Religious Freedom Roundtable Secretariat), Nadine Maenza (former Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom), Jos Douma (Netherlands Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief), Sam Brownback (former US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom), Chris Seiple from the Institute of Global Engagement, and Jim Shannon (Co-Chair of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on International FoRB). Other subjects discussed were “Civil Society, Parliamentarians and Academics”, “FoRB and the Media” and “Funding FoRB”.

The Church of Scientology has been championing FoRB for decades, and this right is enshrined in its Credo since 1953. Also, the “Code of a Scientologist”, written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, requires Scientologist to support freedom of religion for all. The European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights is specifically tasked with this issue and works tirelessly to make it a reality in Europe and abroad, working shoulder to shoulder with many other like-minded organizations.

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Scientology founder’s Washington D.C. Office Recognized as a Historic Monument

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Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s Washington D.C. Office Recognized as a Historic Monument
Photo credit:: Church of Scientology International. Founding Church of Scientology, Washington, D.C., established at 1812 19th St NW July 4, 1955, by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. It has been recognized as a historic landmark by the DC Historic Preservation Review Board

Historic Monument – In just five years since the May 1950 publication of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, Dianetics and Scientology had expanded from one foundation to an international organization headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

With the dramatic growth of the movement and the need for worldwide communication lines to coordinate Churches and groups on five continents, in the summer of 1955, Mr Hubbard moved the central operations of Scientology to Washington, DC., where he established the Founding Church of Scientology at 1812 19th Street NW.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Scientology founder's Washington D.C. Office Recognized as a Historic Monument

The DC Historic Preservation Review Board has now unanimously approved an application by the Church of Scientology to designate this building as a historic landmark.

From his second-floor office, L. Ron Hubbard served as the first Executive Director, overseeing the organization of Churches and authoring the administrative articles and policies that continue to form the organizational structure of all Scientology Churches today.

The Church has also recently opened two other facilities in the nation’s capital: The D.C. Church of Scientology, which has retained its original name, The Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, D.C., at 1424 16th Street NW, and the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office on Dupont Circle at 1701 20th St NW. 

Established July 4, 1955, by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the Founding Church of Scientology in Washington, D.C., holds a unique place in the history of the Scientology religion.

The Rev. Susan Taylor, the national public affairs director of the Church of Scientology’s national affairs office in Washington, told the Washingtonian newsroom that the church aims to landmark properties with connections to Hubbard: “I think just like any other religion it’s important for our members to identify historic places where our founder has either lived or worked.

Only blocks from the White House, the Founding Church of Scientology served as the first fully formed centre of Scientology training and religious counselling, and the first international administrative headquarters for the burgeoning religion.

The Beaux-Arts building,  Andrew Beaujon from the Washingtonian wrote, “holds more history: Its primary architect was Waddy Butler Wood, who designed a number of significant houses and buildings around Washington, including the former Masonic temple that now houses the National Museum of Women in the Arts“.

Located at 1812 19th St NW, it was from his office on the second floor that L. Ron Hubbard served as Executive Director and coordinated the religion, its Churches, and activities on five continents.

More than five decades later, in dedicating the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office in Washington, D.C. in 2012, Mr. David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, spoke of “freedom” as an essential element in Scientology. He made it clear that Mr. Hubbard selected July 4th for inaugurating the new international headquarters in 1955 quite deliberately.

Mr. Miscavige said:

“Just as this nation was founded upon the principles of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, so too those principles are woven into the very fabric of our Scripture,”

He pointed out that the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, whose adoption is celebrated on Independence Day, are incorporated in the Creed of the Church of Scientology, published in 1954. 

The Creed affirms:

That all men of whatever race, color or creed were created with equal rights.

That all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance.

That all men have inalienable rights to their own lives.

That all men have inalienable rights to their sanity.

That all men have inalienable rights to their own defense.

That all men have inalienable rights to conceive, choose, assist or support their own organizations, churches and governments.

That all men have inalienable rights to think freely, to talk freely, to write freely their own opinions and to counter or utter or write upon the opinions of others.

That all men have inalienable rights to the creation of their own kind.

That the souls of men have the rights of men.

That the study of the Mind and the healing of mentally caused ills should not be alienated from religion or condoned in nonreligious fields.

And that no agency less than God has the power to suspend or set aside these rights, overtly or covertly.

The full text of the Creed is available in a video on the Scientology Network, as is a three-part series chronicling Mr Hubbard’s life and discoveries.

In an essay published in August 1954, L. Ron Hubbard wrote:

“We are extending to you the precious gift of freedom and immortality—factually, honestly.

“You are a spirit. You are your own soul. You are not mortal. You can be free.”

In that same essay, Mr Hubbard credits America with having “kept wide the doorway” for this accomplishment “by retaining religious freedom.”


From its beginnings, the Church of Scientology has recognized that freedom of religion is a fundamental human right. In a world where conflicts are often traceable to intolerance of others’ religious beliefs and practices, the Church has, for more than 50 years, made the preservation of religious liberty an overriding concern.

The Church publishes this blog to help create a better understanding of the freedom of religion and belief and provide news on religious freedom and issues affecting this freedom around the world.

The Founder of the Scientology religion is L. Ron Hubbard and Mr. David Miscavige is the religion’s ecclesiastical leader.

Protecting the EU budget: MEPs conclude a fact-finding visit to Poland

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On Wednesday, a delegation of the Budgetary Control Committee, led by chair Monika Hohlmeier, concluded a fact-finding visit to Poland on the disbursement of EU funds.

“We want to see EU recovery funds reach as many people and organisations in Poland, given all that they are doing to help those fleeing the war and the damage done by the pandemic. However, we as MEPs need to ensure that EU taxpayers’ money is protected and fairly distributed, and what we’ve seen on our visit here raises concerns. It seems that there are systemic problems caused by the government that prevent Poland from meeting all conditions for receiving the EU money. In particular, there are issues relating to their adherence to the rulings of the European Court of Justice,” Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, DE), head of the delegation, said at the end of the visit.

“We made an effort to look from all angles at the distribution and management of EU funds in Poland, to check whether there are systems in place to protect the EU’s financial interests. We focused on current EU funding under shared management and found that the systems to protect and control the EU funds are in place. However, we ask the government to make up for the damage done to SME’s that have been victims of the misuse of funds by letterbox companies in cooperation with big companies.

“Regarding the Recovery and Resilience Facility money (RRF), we were informed that the management and control systems for RRF funds have not yet been decided nor prepared.”

“After speaking with government and opposition politicians, prosecutors and judges, NGO representatives, journalists, paying and oversight authorities, as well as the Polish audit authority, we now have to analyse the complaints and concerns around particular cases in depth. There are signs that the distribution of public funds, including EU money, is increasingly politicised and that the complicated criteria for the receipt of EU funds hamper its fair distribution,” Ms. Hohlmeier said.

“The lack of an independent judiciary, and political interventions into the work of judges and prosecutors, gives us reason to be concerned about a growing systemic problem with the independent verification of the spending of EU funds. We expect respect for the separation of powers that is a fundamental pillar of European law. We also call on the Polish government to urgently start cooperating with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), so that EU-wide tax fraud and money laundering schemes can be properly prosecuted,” she added.

“A shocking revelation for us was the restrictions in place on Poland’s national court of auditors. It is crucial that the audit authorities are independent, and that they are protected and empowered to do all audits as they deem appropriate. We are very concerned about the ongoing political pressure on members of the court, the prohibition on nominations of court members, the refusal of their access to necessary documents”.

“Similarly, we were informed of a lack of transparency by the state institutions towards members of the Polish Sejm and towards the press. This is worrying, given we are facing the disbursement of recovery funds in a system where there is more national responsibility required and where Parliament and the Commission will have less power of oversight and control”.

“We will follow up on the information we received during our visit and include it in 2023’s discharge process, as well as passing it on to the Commission, the European Court of Auditors, the EU anti-fraud watchdog OLAF and the EPPO”, she concluded.


Delegation programme

Participating MEPs met with independent investigative journalists, with Polish parliament (Sejm) and the state secretary, prosecutors and judges, Warsaw’s mayor, business owners with judicial issues, and Poland’s Supreme Audit authority. MEPs also visited the European Border and Coast Guard agency’s (Frontex) headquarters to continue discussions following Parliament’s initial decision to postpone the approval of Frontex’s accounts.


Members in the delegation

Monika Hohlmeier (Head of delegation) (EPP, Germany)

Tomáš Zdechovský (EPP, Czechia)

Lara Wolters (S&D, Netherlands)

Ramona Strugariu (RENEW, Romania)

Mikulas Peksa (Greens/EFA, Czechia)

Joachim Kuhs (ID, Germany)

Eider Gardiazabal Rubial (S&D, Spain) (accompanying member)

WHO calls for action to provide migrant and refugee healthcare

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WHO calls for action to provide migrant and refugee healthcare
Millions of refugees and migrants face poorer health outcomes than their host communities, which could jeopardize reaching the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for these populations. 
The warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) comes in its first ever report on the health of refugees and migrants, published on Wednesday. 

It calls for urgent action to ensure people on the move can access healthcare services that are sensitive to their needs. 

“Whether by choice or by force, to be on the move is to be human and is part of human life. Whatever a person’s motivation, circumstance, origin or migratory status, we must unequivocally reiterate that health is a human right for all, and that universal health coverage must be inclusive of refugees and migrants,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director General, in the forward to the report. 

Challenging times 

Globally, there are around one billion migrants, or roughly one in eight people.

Disease, famine, climate change and war have forced people to flee their homelands, and the conflict in Ukraine has helped push the number of displaced people worldwide to more than 100 million for the first time in history.

At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately affect the health and livelihoods of migrants and refugees. 

The report, which is based on an extensive review of data from around the world, reveals that refugees and migrants are not inherently less healthy than host communities.

Dirty, dangerous jobs 

Their poorer health outcomes are due to the impact of various sub-optimal health determinants such as education, income, and housing, which are compounded by linguistic, cultural, legal and other barriers.

The report underscores that the experience of migration and displacement is a key factor in health and wellbeing, especially when combined with other factors.

A recent analysis of more than 17 million participants from 16 countries across five WHO regions found that migrant workers were less likely to use health services, and more likely to have an occupational injury, when compared with non-migrant counterparts.

Furthermore, a significant number of the world’s 169 million migrant workers globally are employed in jobs that are dirty, dangerous and demanding.

They are at greater risk of occupational accidents, injuries, and work-related health problems than non-migrant workers.  The situation is also exacerbated by their often limited or restricted access to, and use of, health services.

WHO

Lwin Lwin Kyi (left), a Burmese migrant health volunteer during COVID-19 response.

Quality data crucial 

The report also found that while data and health information about the health of refugees and migrants is plentiful, it is also fragmented and not comparable across countries and over time.

WHO said although migrant populations are sometimes identifiable in global datasets used for SDG monitoring, health data are often missing from migration statistics.

Additionally, migrant status variables are frequently missing from health statistics, making it difficult to determine and track progress for refugees and migrants with regards to the health-related goals.

“It is imperative that we do more on refugees and migrants’ health but if we want to change the status quo, we need urgent investments to improve the quality, relevance and completeness of health data on refugees and migrants,” said Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO’s Deputy Director-General.

“We need sound data collection and monitoring systems that truly represent the diversity of the world population and the experience that refugees and migrants face the world over and that can guide more effective policies and interventions.”

On the frontlines 

Although policies and frameworks do exist that address and respond to the health needs of refugees and migrants, WHO said disparities persist due to a lack of their meaningful and effective implementation. 

Health does not begin or end at a country’s border. Migratory status should therefore not be a discriminatory factor but a policy driver on which to build and strengthen healthcare and social and financial protection. We must reorient existing health systems into integrated and inclusive health services for refugees and migrants, in line with the principles of primary healthcare and universal health coverage,” said Dr Santino Severoni, Director of WHO’s Health and Migration Programme.  

The report highlights how refugees and migrants can spark innovations that drive economic and social transformation.

It also draws attention to their extraordinary contributions to frontline response during the pandemic, noting that in several countries under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as many as half of doctors or nurses are foreign born. 

The Netherlands has banned another 24 super yachts from leaving the country because of links to Russia

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aerial photo of white and orange boat on body of water
Photo by Ryan Wu

Dutch customs officials have identified another group of superyachts that may be owned by Russian individuals. The service is currently monitoring 24 of these luxury yachts worth a total of €1.6 billion, RTL Nieuws reports.

Two of the yachts are not allowed to leave the Netherlands. They are “frozen” because their owners are definitely known to be Russians or Russian companies on the list of sanctions that the European Union imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The list is of individuals and countries that support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.

The owners of the remaining 22 yachts are not included in the sanctions list, but they cannot leave the Netherlands either. EU sanctions also prohibit the export of luxury goods worth more than 300 euros to Russia. The fact that customs officials are still finding Russian yachts in the Netherlands months after the invasion began is because the “ultimate beneficiary” is not always transparent and easily identifiable. Companies are required to clearly state who will take delivery of a given yacht, but this is not always the case. For three of the 22 yachts, the identity of the beneficial owner is still under investigation.

German scientists have developed a technology for mass production of the most advanced perovskite solar cells

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The most prestigious scientific journal Nature Energy published an article by German scientists on the development of a technology for the scalable production of today’s most advanced perovskite solar cells. We are talking about a fully perovskite tandem solar cell, both layers of which contain the crystalline structures of only these minerals. This means that such elements can be produced simply and quickly without losing a fairly high efficiency.

Tandem solar cells allow cells to operate over a wider energy spectrum. For example, the upper silicon layer absorbs red and infrared spectra, while the lower perovskite layer absorbs blue and green. Last week, such tandem perovskite cells set a record for efficiency, when the efficiency of photovoltaic cells exceeded 30% for the first time in history (for a cell of 1 cm2, which is important, since efficiency decreases with increasing scale). The result is amazing, although it should be remembered that one of the layers of this element is silicon with all the ensuing production features, including expensive processing.

In a new study, scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) set out to create a tandem cell exclusively from perovskite minerals with different band gaps, which would allow the upper and lower layers of the cell to work with different spectra and avoid the use of silicon. The result was so good that the scientists called the development a direct path to the mass production of tandem pure perovskite cells.

Using a combination of mechanical application of solutions and vacuum deposition, the researchers created a cell that, with a net area of ​​the photocell of 12.25 cm2 (excluding frames and contact electrodes), showed an efficiency of 19.1%. In the manufacture of the same element with an area of ​​0.1 cm2, the efficiency was 23.5%. The multiple scaling of the manufacturing process resulted in only an incomplete 5% drop in efficiency. This means that the process technology can be scaled up to mass without significant loss of efficiency. At the same time, the main advantages of the production of perovskite cells are retained – processing using liquid solutions and, as a result, the ability to create photovoltaic surfaces of complex shapes and on a flexible substrate.

Image Source: Bahram Abdollahi Nejand, KIT

Source: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The research is freely available from Nature Energy at https://rdcu.be/cRW93.

G-Shock launches “space” watch in honor of NASA

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G-Shock NASA
Photo credit: CASIO NASA https://gshock.casio.com/us/products/limited/gwm5610nasa/

This model is approved for use in spacecraft and on board the ISS.

Launched Casio G-Shock watch in orange, which is dedicated to the NASA space agency. The full model name is GWM5610NASA4.

The case and strap of the novelty are made in the corporate color of the suits. Orange space suits are made that way for a reason. This color is intended to improve visibility in emergencies and rescue operations.

There is an agency logo on the watch strap, and an astronaut is engraved on the metal case back. G-Shock and NASA have been collaborating for years. The manufacturer claims that this watch is suitable for use in spacecraft and aboard the International Space Station.

The battery life of the model on a single charge is approximately 10 months in normal mode and 22 months in standby mode. The space watch costs $170.

COMECE welcomes launch of EU accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia

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COMECE welcomes launch of EU accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia
The Bishops of the European Union congratulate Albania and North Macedonia on the opening of EU accession negotiations. Fr. Barrios Prieto: “a credible EU enlargement process is of strategic importance for stability, prosperity and peace on the European continent”.

Czech Republic’s Petr fiala, North Macedonia’s Dimitar Kovacevski, Albania’s Edi Rama and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. (Credit: EPA)

The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) congratulates Albania and North Macedonia on the opening of EU accessions talks officially lauched on Tuesday 19 July 2022 in Brussels in what can be described as a historic moment for the two Western Balkan countries and for the European Union.

Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, General Secretary of COMECE, reacted on behalf of the Bishops of the European Union by “warmly congratulating Albania and North Macedonia and their people, who have long awaited this moment with hope and faith”.

A credible EU enlargement process is of strategic importance for stability, prosperity and peace on the European continent”, the COMECE General Secretary added.

In June 2022, COMECE released a statement prepared by its External Affairs Commission urging the European Council to “renew its efforts for peace in Ukraine and to implement a credible EU enlargement process”, including the opening of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia and granting a candidate status to Ukraine.

In February 2020, COMECE received a delegation from the Albanian Bishops’ Conference, facilitating exchanges with high-level representatives of the EU on the future European path.

In May 2018, a delegation from the International Bishops’ Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius visited COMECE to draw attention to the importance of embedding the region of the Western Balkans in the EU integration process.

Syria and Ukraine break diplomatic relations

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Syria became only the second country to do so, after Russia

Syria has announced that it is severing diplomatic relations with Ukraine as a reciprocal measure, reported AFP. Kyiv took a similar step late last month after Damascus recognized the independence of pro-Russian separatist republics in eastern Ukraine.

“The Syrian Arab Republic has decided to break diplomatic relations with Ukraine in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and in response to the decisions of the Ukrainian government,” said a representative of the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, quoted by the state news agency SANA.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said that Ukraine effectively severed bilateral relations back in 2018 when it refused to confirm the status of Syrian diplomats in Kyiv, making it impossible for them to carry out their duties.

The Syrian embassy in Kyiv then suspended operations “as a result of the hostile attitude of the Ukrainian government,” the statement quoted by the Associated Press said.

On June 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he was cutting diplomatic ties with Syria after the regime in Damascus recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), supported by Moscow since 2014, earlier that month. recalls AFP.

“The Syrian Arab Republic has decided to break diplomatic relations with Ukraine in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and in response to the decisions of the Ukrainian government,” said a representative of the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, quoted by the state news agency SANA.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said that Ukraine effectively severed bilateral relations back in 2018 when it refused to confirm the status of Syrian diplomats in Kyiv, making it impossible for them to carry out their duties. The Syrian embassy in Kyiv then suspended operations “as a result of the hostile attitude of the Ukrainian government,” the statement quoted by the Associated Press said.

Syria became only the second country to do so, after Russia. Moscow recognized the independence of the DPR and LPR a few days before launching its invasion of Ukraine.

As early as 2018, Damascus recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two Georgian separatist regions that are also supported by Russia.

Damascus and Moscow have been allies for decades, with their ties further strengthened since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict. In 2015, Russia launched a decisive military intervention in Syria in support of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Source: BTA

Putin signed a law: 20 years in prison if you go over to the enemy in war

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a federal law that equates crossing over to the enemy’s side during hostilities to treason, Gazeta.ru reports.

The Criminal Code introduces criminal liability in connection with the participation of Russian citizens in an armed conflict or military actions on the territory of a foreign country, when this is contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation.

Such an act carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

This penalty can also be applied in the case of espionage, as well as the transfer to a foreign country or a foreign organization of information that constitutes a state secret.

Earlier today, Putin also signed a law on the control of the activities of foreign agents, which comes into force on December 1 of this year. The law is about controlling the activities of persons who are under foreign influence.

Such people are prohibited from creative activity financed by the budget. They will no longer be allowed to provide environmental expertise and will not be recognized by employers’ associations and chambers of commerce and industry.