Timur Khutov, Head of Criminal Law Practice, BMS Law Firm:

The Russian Criminal Code provides for a possibility of a penalty in the form of prohibition to occupy certain posts or engage in certain activities. This is what Article 47 of the Russian Criminal Code stipulates.

Besides, the issue is explained in the Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 22.12.2015 No. 58 “On practice of issuing criminal sentences by Russian courts”. Thus, Clause 9 of the Resolution says that “prohibition to occupy certain posts may take the form of a ban to engage into both professional and other activities. A verdict must specify such activities (teaching, medicine, driving, etc.)”.

Since the crime was committed under the influence of alcohol, the court gave a relevant evaluation of this fact. In this regard the punishment, including the prohibition for the convicts to consume alcohol for 2 years, is legal, although definitely not a conventional one.