© Said Tzarnaev / Sputnik
The bill was previously approved by both houses of the Russian parliament, the State Duma and the Federation Council, on June 19 and 25 respectively. The legislation was put forward in April this year following a terrorist attack in the St. Petersburg Metro, which left 14 people dead and dozens injured. The attack was carried out by a Kyrgyz-born naturalized Russian citizen.
The new law was signed by Putin on Sunday and will come into force on September 1. It stipulates the deprivation of Russian citizenship if a person is found guilty of terrorism-related crimes, including an international terrorist act, calls for terrorism or the justification of it, and training, organization or participation in a terrorist group.
However, the rule is applied only to naturalized citizens, whose citizenship granting can be rescinded. A person would also be stripped of citizenship if they are convicted of armed rebellion, the violent seizure of power, hate crimes targeting certain ethnic or religious groups, an assassination attempt on a government or public official, or an attack on a person or a body under international protection, among other charges, if those crimes were connected with terrorism.
Comment: Makes one wonder if N. Korea is being manipulated so Washington can have the desired outcome with S. Korea.