Russian parliament approves harsh bill on protests

The Kremlin-controlled Russian parliament has rammed through a harsh bill that raises fines 150-fold for people taking part in unsanctioned rallies, a move aimed at discouraging the opposition from challenging President Vladimir Putin.              

The bill would jack up fines from the current 2,000 rubles to 300,000 rubles ($9,000), and comes after a series of massive protests that have reflected growing public frustration with Putin's 12-year rule. The potential punishment is more severe than for many other crimes, including even violations in the storage of nuclear materials.            

The opposition factions in the lower house, the State Duma, put forward several hundred amendments in an unprecedented attempt to stymie the bill's passage, reflecting a new willingness to stand up to the Kremlin.             

But members of the Kremlin's majority United Russia party voted the amendments down one by one during a marathon session that lasted nearly six extra hours and ended just before midnight. United Russia then used its majority in the 450-seat parliament to approve the bill in the second and third readings. The final vote Tuesday was 241-147.             

The Kremlin wants the new bill to become law by next Tuesday when the opposition plans a major protest in Moscow. The bill also will require approval by the upper house and Putin's signature, but both steps are formalities.            

Since returning to the presidency in May, Putin has toughened his line toward the opposition, whose protests over the winter drew up to 100,000 people in an unprecedented challenge to his rule. Due to term limits, Putin spent four years in the prime minister's seat after already serving two consecutive terms as president from 2000 to 2008.            

He recently has spoken in support of the bill, saying, "We must shield our people from radical actions."          

Russian authorities routinely deny permission for opposition rallies or offer rally organizers venues away from the city center.           

Sergei Mironov, the leader of the Fair Russia opposition faction, said the bill was a "spit in the face of the Russian people."    

AP