Since April 2026, Russia has been criminalized for denying the genocide of the Soviet people and desecrating relevant memorials. This was told by an expert from the North Caucasus Federal University.

Russia will criminalize denial of the genocide of the Soviet people, as well as desecration of the graves of its victims.

— The norm on "insulting the memory of the victims of the genocide of the Soviet people" and "denial of genocide" has been added to the article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the rehabilitation of Nazism. This article provides for punishment for denying the decisions of the Nuremberg Tribunal, approving Nazi crimes and publicly spreading false information about the activities of the USSR during World War II," comments Kirill Dolgopolov, Head of the Department of Criminal Law and Procedure at North Caucasus Federal University (NCFU), Doctor of Sociology, Candidate of Law, Associate Professor.

There is no term "genocide" in the verdict of the Nuremberg Tribunal. This means that citizens who deny the genocide of the Soviet people cannot be punished under the existing article of the Criminal Code.

— The criminal responsibility for denying the genocide of the Soviet people is quite strict. For this, you can face up to three years in prison with the deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years. In addition, a fine of up to three million rubles or in the amount of a convicted person's salary or other income for a period of up to three years is provided, or forced labor for up to three years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years, comments Kirill Dolgopolov.

Separately, amendments were made to Article 243.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (destruction of military graves and monuments). Responsibility was introduced for damaging memorials "perpetuating the memory of the victims of the genocide" and for desecrating their graves.

— The commission of this act will be punishable by a fine of up to three million rubles or in the amount of wages or other income, convicted for a period of up to three years, or forced labor for up to three years, or imprisonment for the same period, — says Kirill Dolgopolov.

The NCFU expert emphasizes that until now, criminal protection has been extended specifically to military graves and memorials dedicated to soldiers who died defending the Fatherland, while graves and memorials erected in memory of civilians who were shot, tortured in concentration camps, died of starvation and forced labor were not covered by this law. Now this legal gap has been eliminated. That is why the adoption of this bill is important and timely.