The Russian Ministry of Defense has prepared a draft law allowing “the extraterritorial use of formations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to protect citizens of the Russian Federation.” The document, as Interfax wrote with reference to a source, was approved by a government committee for submission to the State Duma.
The agency stated that the explanatory memorandum states that “the draft law was developed in order to protect the rights of citizens of the Russian Federation in the event of their arrest, detention, criminal prosecution and other proceedings pursuant to decisions of courts of foreign states vested with powers in the field of criminal proceedings by other foreign states without the participation of the Russian Federation, and international judicial bodies whose jurisdiction is not based on an international treaty of the Russian Federation or a resolution of the United Nations Security Council.”
The decision on the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation outside the country for these purposes, follows the draft law, and will be taken by the President of the Russian Federation.
The draft law had not been published in the State Duma database at the time of publication.
In April 2023, a clause was added to the Federal Law “On Security” granting the President of the Russian Federation the right “to take measures to protect the Russian Federation and its citizens in the event that foreign or international organizations take decisions or carry out actions that conflict with the interests of the Russian Federation.” What means can be used for this is not specified in the law.