MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2021) Viacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, condemned on Monday the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK, labeled as a foreign agent by the Russian Ministry of Justice) for calling on Washington to impose sanctions on Russian officials and business persons, and said that a bill on response restrictions could envision criminal liability for such calls.
"I think everyone will condemn this move. Such actions are inadmissible. This is a call for foreign assistance with an aim to ruin our economy," Volodin told reporters.
"We must protect our country and our citizens. I do not rule out that the bill, which was passed in the first reading, could include a provision on a criminal code article, this could be done for the second reading. We need a very severe punishment for such actions. This should be reflected in our legislation," Volodin added.
In May 2018, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament passed in the first reading bills on Russia's response to the sanctions. The document allows countersanctions in response to unfriendly moves by the United States and other countries.
