The State Duma has unanimously approved legislation allowing naturalized foreigners convicted of terrorism-related charges to be stripped of their citizenship, the TASS state-funded news agency reports.

The amendments to Russia’s citizenship law were passed after its third reading on Wednesday, the Fedpress.ru website said.



The proposal was introduced following a deadly terrorist attack in the St. Petersburg metro, in which 14 people were killed in April.

The suicide bomber responsible for the attack was originally from the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan. Under the new amendment, the bomber and his accomplices could have their Russian citizenship revoked.

But the measure will not apply to born Russian citizens, including those residing in Russia’s restive Northern Caucasus republics of Dagestan and Chechnya, because it would render them stateless.



The amendments also simplify the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for Ukrainians and require foreigners acquiring Russian citizenship to take an obligatory oath.