By David Sophrin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
MOSCOW, Russia – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed legislation this week aimed at reforming his country’s prison system.
Under the new legislation, which amends the country’s criminal code, those who commit a tax crime but then agree to pay the back taxes, as well as the appropriate fine, will avoid any jail time. Those awaiting trial for tax crimes also can no longer be jailed during the pretrial proceedings. The requisite amount of money that will qualify a particular situation for the application of more serious tax evasion charges has also been increased. Responsibility for future alleged tax crime investigations will also be shifted from the Interior Ministry to the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Medvedev has indicated that it is his hope that these changes will decrease the common practice in Russia of prosecutors attempting to force suspects in giving confessions rather than carrying out a proper investigation.
These changes are part of a larger groups of proposed reforms that President Medvedev says are necessary to modernize Russia criminal justice system which “has not changed for decades”. There are also expected to be additional changes in the future regarding those convicted of economic and non-violent offences. These reforms come in the aftermath of the death of lawyer Sergei L. Magnitsky, who died in a Moscow prison while awaiting trial on charges of tax evasion for more than a year. Regional and international focus on this incident increased the pressure on Russia’s leaders to take this action.
Medvedev also dismissed Alexander Piskunov, the deputy director of the Federal Penitentiary Service system. Piskunov’s dismissal marks the twentieth firing of a leading prison system official since the death of Magnitsky this past December.
For more information, please see:
AFP – Medvedev bans imprisonment of tax offence suspects – 29 December 2009
CBS – Russian President Bans Tax Crime Suspects’ Jailing – 29 December 2009
MOSCOW TIMES – No Jail for Tax Suspects – 21 December 2009
NEW YORK TIMES – Russia: No Jail for Tax Fraud Suspects – 29 December 2009
RT – Medvedev goes mild on tax evasion – 29 December 2009
