The “Yarovaya laws” threaten to undermine the core principles of Russian criminal law. With the Criminal Code stripped bare and the revival of a number of notorious Soviet legal principles—including the ability to hold people criminally responsible for withholding information—legal textbooks will soon have to be rewritten.

At the end of June, Russia’s upper and lower houses of parliament approved the “Yarovaya laws,” a controversial package of legislative amendments that Edward Snowden has called “an unworkable, unjustifiable violation of rights.”

It makes “failure to report a crime” a criminal offense; any individual who becomes aware of “reliable information” about plans to carry out an act of terrorism, armed mutiny, or any of a dozen other crimes and does not notify the authorities will face up to a year in prison.

The laws have been very effective in depoliticizing the Russian population.

Putin signs controversial anti-terror measures into law
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/putin-signs-controversial-anti-terror-measures-law-141544233.html?nhp=1

Moscow (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a package of controversial anti-terror amendments dubbed “Big Brother” measures by critics that may cost internet companies billions.

The measures, posted online Thursday by the government, boost the surveillance powers for the security services by requiring communication providers to store users’ calls, messages, photographs and videos for six months, as well as metadata for up to three years.

They also have to provide security services with access to this data and any necessary encryption mechanisms necessary to use it.

They also criminalise several offences, lower the age of criminal responsibility to 14 for some crimes and extend prison sentences for online crimes like abetting terrorism.

The passage of the bills through Russia’s lower and upper houses of parliament sent shockwaves through the internet and telecoms industries.

EO of Megafon mobile provider Sergei Soldatenkov said that the law as it stands would require the company to spend 200 billion rubles ($3.1 billion) to ensure the data storage requirement — four times its annual profit.

“This bill financially kills the telecommunication industry,”