Russian Federation

[RU] Bill “On State Protection of Moral Health and on Stronger Control over the Use of Products of Sexual Character” Passed Second Reading

IRIS 1998-6:1/18

Marina Savintseva

Moscow Media Law and Policy Centre

The work on the Bill "State protection of moral health and on stronger control over the use of products of sexual character" started in 1995, when the initial text in the Legislative assembly of Omsk region was developed. On 16 January 1998, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted the Bill in the second reading (on the first reading, see IRIS 1997-4: 10). 226 Deputes supported the Bill, 104 Deputes voted against it and 113 abstained. Now the Bill is being prepared for the third reading. If the Bill is adopted in the third reading by the State Duma and approved by the Federation Council (upper house of the Russian parliament), the law must be signed by the President of Russian Federation to enter into force. The Bill consist of a Preamble and 13 articles. The articles of the Bill introduce restrictions on products of sexual character (import, manufacturing, advertising and storage of products of sexual character with the purpose of its distribution, including trade and conduct of entertainment shows of a sexual character) on the territory of the Russian Federation. Under "pornography production" the Bill includes any printed and audiovisual products, including advertising, transferred and obtained on communication lines of the message and materials, whose purpose is the cynical portrayal and description of sexual actions with minors, violent actions of a sexual character, and also sexual actions connected to violation of a dead body or with animals (Art. 4). Television films and programmes with an erotic content of a "hard" character is permitted only from 1 to 4 a.m. in an encrypted form, and films and programmes of an erotic "soft" character unencrypted from 1 to 4 a.m. (Art. 9). Civil, administrative and criminal liability is introduced for offences under the legislation on distribution in television and other mass media of pornographic products and products of a sexual character (Art. 11).