Russia lower house approves expanded anti-extremism law

News

Russia lower house approves expanded anti-extremism law

July 6, 2007 07:21:00 pm

[JURIST] The Duma [official website, in Russian], the lower house of the Russian parliament, Friday approved legislative amendments to change the prevailing definition of extremist crime in Russian law to include activities taken for "political or ideological hatred." Opponents of the legislation criticized the amendments as an attempt to curtail civil liberties and hamper democracy by putting restraints on media coverage and discouraging opposition campaigning. Russian parliamentarians defended the measure as necessary to prevent terrorism; President Vladimir Putin [official website] has denied that the changes would be used to oppose a democratic power transition.

Under the new amendments, public disturbances "committed for ideological, political or racial motives" are punishable by a prison term of eight years. "Calls to extremism" can be punished by six years in prison. The new amendments will also grant the police additional wire-tapping powers. They now go to Russia's upper house, the Federation Council. AFP has more.

Congress passed War Powers Act

On November 7, 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Act, overriding President Nixon's veto. Read the War Powers Act and review a summary of Congress and the War Power: Constitutional Anchor or Anachronism?, a seminar held at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on October 15, 2001.

UN calls for UK, France and Israel to leave Egypt

On November 7, 1956, the United Nations General Assembly approved Resolution 1001, which called on the United Kingdom, France and Israel to pull all of their military forces out of Egypt. The Resolution came during the Suez Canal crisis, during which Israel invaded Egypt with the support of the U.K. and France, after Egyptian President Gamal Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. Read Resolution 1001.