In 2010, it was reported that the Russian Parliament was considering loosening gun control laws to allow Russians who legally own firearms to carry them for the purposes of self defense. The Russian Justice Minister, Alexander Konovalov was firmly against the possibility. In 2013, it was reported that the Russian organization, Right to Bear Arms, had only 1,000 members. It was founded by Maria Butina . . .
Now we learn that Russian law has been changed to allow the civil population to carry lethal weapons for self defense.
From rt.com:
Until now Russian gun enthusiasts were only permitted to carry firearms for hunting or target shooting after obtaining a license through the Interior Ministry. Russian gun licenses are to be renewed every five years, and applicants face strict background checks and are required to take gun safety courses.
The addendum to the law now lists self-defense as a legally acceptable reason for carrying a weapon.
It is not clear who exactly will be able to qualify to own pistols, for example. It’s not impossible to obtain a license to own a shotgun in Russia, but a person has to be a shotgun owner for several years before they may purchase a rifle.
The change in the law is likely related to a petition submitted by over 100,000 Russians to allow firearms to be used to defend their residences. The petition was submitted in February of 2014, for the third time. There are said to be five million legal firearms owners in Russia, though there are many more who own firearms without legal sanction.
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| Demonstration for the right to bear arms in Moscow |
The movement to create a right to bear arms is fairly young in Russia, but it appears to have scored a significant victory.
©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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