Tough bill on extremism passes in Russia

MOSCOW, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The Russian government said Wednesday those convicted of extremist acts in the country could be thrown in jail for four years and face $8,700 in fines.

Russian lawmakers passed a bill that triples the minimum fine to $8,700 and calls for a four-year prison term for those convicted of inciting hatred or other extremist crimes, the state-supported news agency RIA Novosti reported.

The Kremlin said the measure is meant to counter extremist groups who pose a threat to public safety. The law's passage comes less than two weeks before the start of the Olympic Games in the Russian resort city of Sochi.

Russian and international security forces are on alert ahead of the games. More than 30 people were killed in two suicide bombings last month in Volgograd, a Russian city a few hundred miles northeast of Sochi.

The bill on extremism was introduced in June and was criticized by members of the human rights community as a political tool to quiet opponents of President Vladimir Putin.

Human Rights Watch said last week it suspected the Kremlin was treating its critics as enemies of the state.