FC approves tougher punishment for mafia bosses.

MOSCOW, October 22 (Itar-Tass) - The Federation Council upper house of
the Russian parliament on Wednesday approved the amendments to the
Criminal and Criminal Procedural Codes which envision much tougher
penalties for setting up criminal groups and mafia bosses.
The amendments give clearer definitions of two forms of organized
crime: an organized group and criminal organization.
"A crime is regarded as committed by an organized criminal group
acting under one leadership, whose members are brought together with the
view of joint commission of one or several serious or very serious cries
for receiving, directly or indirectly, financial or other material
advantage," chairman of the FC committee on legal and judicial issues
Anatoly Lyskov said.
The new legislation was submitted by the Russian president.
The penalty for the commission of the above actions has been toughened
from seven to 12 years and from 15 to 20 years.
The lower threshold of sanctions, such as imprisonment for abuse of
office, has been increased from 10 to 15 years. The bill envisions life
imprisonment for "mafia bosses" - the masterminds and coordinators of
criminal groups.
The persons convicted for such crimes must serve at least
three-quarters of their prison terms before applying for parole.
Law-enforcement bodies have the opportunity to extend the deadline for
bringing charges against these suspect from ten to 30 days. This norm
applies to the persons convicted for sex crimes against minors.
The person who terminates his participation in a criminal group of his
own free will, or the participation in assemblies of masterminds, gang
leaders or representatives of criminal groups, is exempt from criminal
responsibility if his cooperation with the investigators contributes to
the prevention of crime or their solving, and if no other corpus delicti
is found in his actions.
Anatoly Lyskov drew the senators' attention to the fact that according
to the conclusion of the FC legal department, the new norms "conform to
the Russian Constitution and our legislative system."
The State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament approved the 2nd
reading of the bill last week.
At a meeting with Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev on September 7,
President Dmitry Medvedev noted "considerable changes in the qualification
of the criminal underworld, and tougher responsibility for the actions
committed by the persons who occupy top positions in criminal hierarchy."
The president is confident that the toughening of responsibility for
the masterminds of criminal groups, as far as life imprisonment, will make
the work of law-enforcement bodies more effective.
"It is a very tough penalty, but it will enable you to better fight
organized crime," the head of sate said.
According to the presidential representative the State Duma, organized
groups in Russia committed 34,620 serious and very serious crimes in 2007,
while in 2008, the number of such crimes increased to 26,601.