Russia to Allow Overseas Army Use to Protect Citizens

(MENAFN) Russia’s Defense Ministry has obtained government approval to submit a bill to parliament that would allow the country to deploy its armed forces abroad in order to defend Russian citizens facing prosecution by foreign judicial systems, according to reports.

The proposed legislation is designed to protect Russian nationals who may be arrested, detained, or prosecuted based on decisions issued by foreign courts or by international legal bodies whose authority Moscow does not recognize. The explanatory note accompanying the draft outlines the objective of safeguarding citizens when legal action is taken against them by institutions that are not operating under agreements with Russia or mandates from the UN Security Council.

"the draft law has been developed in order to protect the rights of citizens of the Russian Federation in the event of their arrest, detention, criminal, and other prosecution pursuant to decisions of courts of foreign states,"

At present, Russian law already allows the country to deploy its military outside national borders. However, such decisions are made by President Vladimir Putin when actions by other countries are viewed as conflicting with Russia’s national interests.

Reports indicate that the initiative emerged roughly two months after the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who had previously been indicted by a US court.

In a separate development, arrest warrants have also been issued by the International Criminal Court for Putin and Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, in connection with the conflict in Ukraine, according to reports.

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