Anyone on Russian soil caught complying with U.S. economic sanctions could soon face up to four years in jail, according to new legislation moving through the Russian Parliament.
On Tuesday, lawmakers in the State Duma unanimously approved a bill aiming to blunt the impact of U.S.-imposed financial restrictions and asset freezes on Russian oligarchs and companies associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Specifically, the legislation would enable a Russian court to impose a prison term of up to four years on any individual or representative of a legal entity in Russia who refuses to supply services or do business with Russian citizens due to sanctions, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.
The U.S., European Union and several other countries have imposed harsh economic sanctions to punish Moscow for seizing Crimea and interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, in addition to other “malign activity around the globe.”
The latest wave of U.S. sanctions against Russia were unveiled in early April.
On Tuesday, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin told Tass that “more than 400 legal entities and about 200 citizens of Russia have been slapped by the Western sanctions.”
To become law, the bill requires three more parliamentary votes before going to Mr. Putin for his approval.
The bill also criminalizes providing advice or information to foreign governments attempting to impose sanctions.
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