Various amendments aimed at humanization of criminal legislation have been adopted

Such offenses as defamation, insult and discrimination were decriminalized. Since these acts do not pose a grave threat to the established social relations, at the moment an administrative liability is provided for their commitment. A relief from criminal liability is provided for persons who committed such economic crimes as tax and/or levy evasion, failure to perform obligations of tax agent for the first time, if damage caused to budgetary system of the Russian Federation as a result of such crime is fully reimbursed.

At the same time two new crime components were introduced to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (articles 1731 and 1732). Criminal punishment is provided for establishing (incorporation, reorganization) of a legal entity through a fictitious person (so called "fly-by-night companies") and for illegal use of documents for establishing (incorporation, reorganization) of a legal entity for committing one or several crimes related to financial operations or transactions involving monetary funds or other property.