A group of deputies, led by Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Irina Yarovaya, and Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, Badma Bashankaev, has prepared a bill to establish criminal liability for smuggling and breaches of safety regulations in the handling of pathogenic biological agents or toxins.
These contaminants include microorganisms, viruses, prions (protein-like infectious particles), biologically-derived toxins, and other biological agents, including those developed through genetic manipulation and synthetic biology technologies. The explanatory note defines these as agents that “have the capability to induce a pathological process in the body of a person, animal, or plant, as well as biological materials that may contain the listed pathogens.”
Among the threats that smuggling and circulation violations can lead to are illegal actions with pathogenic biological agents, including accidents at facilities where sources of biological hazards are located or work with pathogenic biological agents is carried out, as well as sabotage and terrorist acts at these facilities.