Russia Tightens Citizenship Rules: Serious Crimes Now Lead to Passport Revocation

Report by “Safarti Tarjuman” International News Desk

Moscow — Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, has approved sweeping legal amendments that significantly broaden the list of criminal offenses that could result in revoking naturalized citizenship.

The new legislation targets naturalized Russian citizens — those who acquired citizenship through standard legal channels — and introduces severe penalties for involvement in terrorism, sexual offenses against minors, and other national security threats. However, the law excludes individuals who gained Russian citizenship under constitutional law or international treaties, such as residents of Crimea, Donbass, and Novorossiya following their annexation.

Under the amended law, naturalized citizens could lose their Russian passports if convicted of:

• Violent sexual crimes against minors, especially those causing serious harm or death by negligence
• Public incitement to terrorism, promotion or justification of terrorist acts
• Attacks on Russia’s critical information infrastructure
• Collaboration with foreign entities or governments aimed at undermining Russian national security
• Disseminating Nazi propaganda or symbols
• Assisting enforcement of international rulings from organizations or states Russia does not recognize

Additionally, crimes like murder, group rape, sexual coercion of minors, child pornography production, and involvement of children in prostitution are now grounds for denaturalization.

The law also includes vague but powerful provisions against extremism-related crimes and ideological offenses, enabling Russian authorities to strip citizenship from anyone found guilty of promoting or supporting terrorism, even in speech or media.

Importantly, this law does not apply to individuals granted citizenship under special provisions, such as:

• Residents of Crimea (annexed from Ukraine in 2014)
• Citizens from Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (Donbass)
• Populations in Novorossiya, a term sometimes used by Moscow for pro-Russian territories in Ukraine

These individuals retain immunity under federal constitutional laws and treaty-based citizenship agreements.

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