Deputies of the People’s Assembly of Dagestan presented a bill to the State Duma 'On Amendments to the Federal Law On Russian Federation Citizenship', which proposes depriving people travelling abroad to participate in terrorist activities of their Russian citizenship.
The initiative provides for the deprivation of citizenship of Russian persons travelling abroad to participate in terrorist organizations' activities, as well as persons "participating in international, inter-ethnic, inter-territorial or other armed conflict actions against Russian peacekeeping forces or the Russian Armed Forces and preventing the fulfillment of peacekeeping functions."
Participation in terrorist attacks and extremist activities or the preparation of such acts, implementation of such activities outside the Russian Federation against Russians, Russian representative offices and their employees is a further basis for deprivation of citizenship, TASS reports.
The president of the International Association of Veterans of the Alpha Anti-Terrorism Unit, Sergei Goncharov, gave Vestnik Kavkaza a positive assessment of the initiative as a whole, but stressing a number of contentious issues. "It is necessary to confirm a person's involvement in terrorist activities to deprive him of citizenship. How will it be addressed? I have a lot of questions about this law," he said.
The expert recalled that Australia has already adopted a similar law: citizens involved in terrorist activities will be deprived of citizenship.
"I think that this is another real strength, which can serve as an insurmountable border for supporters or people who are able to organize terrorist acts," Sergei Goncharov said.
A military observer of the TASS news agency, retired Colonel Viktor Litovkin, described the law as "the right step" and said that its adoption could stop people who are going to join terrorist groups.
"By itself, the law will not protect citizens from the terrorist threat. But those who are going to fight abroad and take part in terrorist operations, will think better about it," he explained.
The editor-in-chief of the newspaper 'Journalistic Truth', Vladislav Shurigin, also pointed out that the prospect of deprivation of citizenship can stop the Russians who want to become the terrorists. "The measure is absolutely reasonable, moreover, it is delayed, because this problem had to be solved a few years ago," he noted.
The expert noted that the law will also protect Russia from its citizens returning after participation in terrorist activities: their freedom of movement will be much more limited.
