State Duma committee approves bill on fines for hiding dual citizenship

© RIA Novosti, Sergey Kuznetsov

11:49 12/05/2014

MOSCOW, May 12 (RAPSI) – The State Duma Committee on Constitutional Law and State Development has supported a bill on penalties for concealing dual citizenship, committee head Vladimir Pligin told journalists on Monday.

The bill, which Andrei Lugovoi (LDPR) submitted to the lower house on March 31, stipulates a maximum penalty in the form of a fine of up to 200,000 rubles ($5,710).

The first reading of the bill is scheduled for May 14. By the second reading, the bill is to be improved to preclude any possibility of unjustified liability.

This bill would amend an article of the law On Citizenship and would oblige Russian citizens to notify the Federal Migration Service of any change of status within 30 days of acquiring foreign citizenship. Failure to do so would result in a fine of up to 200,000 rubles or up to 400 hours of compulsory community service.

The State Duma is also considering a bill submitted by Deputy Sergei Ivanov, who proposed a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine of up to 300,000 rubles ($8,565) for those who conceal dual citizenship. Under this bill, failure to inform the migration service would be punishable by a fine ranging between 1,500 rubles ($42.80) and 2,500 rubles ($71.35).