Articles 70 & 72

of the 1960 Russian SFSR Criminal Code

ARTICLE 70 : ANTI-SOVIET AGITATION AND PROPAGANDA

Part 1

“Agitation or propaganda (main section) carried on for the purpose of subverting or weakening the Soviet regime or of committing particular especially dangerous crimes against the state, or the [verbal] spreading for the same purpose of slanderous fabrications which defame the Soviet political and social system, or the circulation or preparation or keeping, for the same purpose, of literature of such content,

“- shall be punished by deprivation of freedom for a term from six months up to seven years (with or without additional exile for a term of 2 to 5 years), or by exile for a term of 2 to 5 years.”

Part 2

“The same actions committed by a person previously convicted for an especially serious State crime, or during wartime,

“- shall be punished by deprivation of freedom for a term of three to ten years.”

Often paired in prosecution with ARTICLE 72

(e.g. Chronicle 13.3)

“Organisational activity directed towards the committing of especially dangerous State crimes, and equally membership of an anti-Soviet organisation”

♦

“Especially serious State crimes” investigated by the KGB.

Equivalent laws in Criminal Codes of other Soviet republics

Armenian SSR – Articles 65-1 and 67 (e.g. CCE 16.4)
Georgian SSR
Latvian SSR – Articles 65 and 67 (e.g. CCE 20.1 [2])
Lithuanian SSR – Article 68
Estonian SSR
Moldavian SSR – Article 67 and 69 (e.g. CCE 20.1 [3])
Ukrainian SSR – Article 62
Belorussian SSR
Tajikistan SSR – Articles 67 and 69 (CCE 25.1)
Uzbek SSR

♦

In 1984, the wording of Article 70 pt. 2 would be amended to refer to

“The same actions committed using funds or other material assistance received from foreign organisations or individuals, acting in the interests of those organisations, or by a person previously convicted for an especially serious State crime or during wartime —

“- shall be punished by deprivation of freedom for a term of three to ten years.”

(Source: USSR News Update, 15 February 1984, item 3-4)