MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2023) Amendments to the Criminal Code and the Administrative Code of Russia could imply prison terms for Russian artists who rap about drugs in their songs starting in 2024, Russian Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Zubov said on Tuesday.
The Committee on Health Protection of Russia's State Duma, the lower house, on Tuesday discussed amendments to the Russian law that would introduce criminal responsibility for the promotion of drug use in music, movies, and the internet starting in 2024. The amendments would introduce mandatory labeling of songs, movies, and other media that mention drug use. For example, Zubov told the meeting, movies and other media would have a running line or pre-recorded credits warning about the use of drugs.
Zubov said that criminal liability would not occur immediately but only after a citizen, provider, or artist would be held administratively liable two or more times for such violations.
"So, rappers who sing about drugs would have to have preventive conversations at the level of administrative responsibility. If they keep doing so - we would have to put them in jail; we cannot help it. Let them get ready then. But after 2024," Zubov told the meeting when asked about rap artists who often mention the topic of the use of drugs in their songs.
At the same time, Zubov said there were no plans "to imprison thousands of people."
