The Ministry of Justice proposed not to consider maps of Russia issued before 2014 as extremist

The Ministry of Justice suggested that maps of Russia be considered extremist if they dispute the territorial integrity of the country and were created deliberately. The department has prepared a corresponding amendment to the bill, which will allow “rehabilitating” maps issued before the entry of new regions into Russia. About it informs RBC.

“The ministry considers it necessary to clarify that such a map should initially be created with the intent to distort the state borders of Russia … On May 22 (government – approx. Life), the commission considered and approved these amendments,” – says the publication.

The bill to which the amendment is proposed was adopted by the State Duma in the first reading in December 2022. The authors of the initiative suggested that maps challenging the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation be considered extremist. Another bill proposed fines for the distribution of such materials in the amount of up to 1 million rubles. However, the government, in its response to the document, proposed changing the wording to “cartographic materials, other materials, images, products, in which, at the time of their creation, information about the state border of the Russian Federation was deliberately distorted in order to challenge the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.”

The Ministry of Justice has prepared appropriate amendments, thanks to which materials published before the new regions became part of Russia will not fall under the new rules.