OREANDA-NEWS. July 11, 2012. Vladimir Putin submitted to the Parliament his opinion on draft laws currently under consideration by the State Duma aimed at amending legislation regulating the activities of nongovernmental organisations and amending the Criminal Code and other legislative acts to increase liability for violating the constitutional rights of individuals to protection of their honour and dignity.

In his opinion, the President proposed not extending the law on NGOs’ provisions to religious organisations, state corporations and state-owned companies, the non-business organisations they establish, and state and municipal establishments.

Mr Putin also proposed clarifying the term ‘political activity’, noting that activity in the fields of science, culture, arts, healthcare, disease prevention and public health, protection of maternity and childhood, social support for the people with disabilities, promotion of a healthy way of life, physical culture and sport, protection of plant and wildlife, charity activity, and activity facilitating charity and volunteer work cannot be classed as ‘political activity’.

The conclusions on the draft law toughening penalties for violation of individuals’ constitutional rights to the protection of their honour and dignity propose excluding imprisonment and compulsory labour as penalties for slander.

The President drew up his conclusions on the draft laws following a meeting with Chairman of the Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Mikhail Fedotov, Human Rights Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin, and Presidential Commissioner for Entrepreneurs’ Rights Boris Titov.