TOP LEGAL EVENTS OF THE LAST WEEK

The Constitutional Court of Russia once again demonstrated its incompetence as the highest body responsible for upholding legislation in the Russian Federation. The court confirmed that the article on discrediting the army aims to suppress any criticism of the war and that only supporters of the war can express their position on this issue, while opponents must remain silent. The Constitutional Court's ruling cannot be legally substantiated since it’s based on an ideology that has become mandatory in Russia, with the Constitution of the Russian Federation serving as a symbolic prop.

The Constitutional Court of Russia refused to repeal the article on discrediting the army. The Court stated that Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Offenses Code is necessary to prohibit criticism of the Russian army: anti-war protests have a cumulative effect, thus reducing the efficiency and motivation of servicemen during a "special military operation." The Constitutional Court also pointed out that defending the homeland is a citizen's duty, and criticism of the armed forces is "assisting forces opposing the Russian Federation."

The commander who beat and stabbed with knife his subordinate is released. The court found Kudashev guilty of abuse of power with the use of violence (Article 286 of the Russian Criminal Code). It sentenced him only to 3 years of probation (the article implies imprisonment from 3 to 10 years).

Representatives of the Russian occupation authorities in Donbas are complaining about the Ukrainian army to the UN. Daria Morozova, calling herself the "Human Rights Commissioner of the DPR," said she would send some evidence of "crimes committed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces" to the UN and other international organizations. They will be allegedly accompanied by testimonies obtained from residents of Bakhmut.

State-owned companies are required to switch to Russian software by January 1, 2025. State-owned companies must switch to using Russian operating systems, office software, database management systems, and virtualization systems by January 1, 2025, announced Maksut Shadaev, head of the Ministry of Digital Development, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum-2023.