Supreme Court Plenum Drafts Guidance Allowing Work Sentences for Foreigners and Sector-Specific Bans

Overview

• The Plenum prepared clarifications that courts may assign corrective and forced labor to foreign citizens and stateless persons if they have a primary job and can continue working after sentencing.
• The guidance notes Article 50, as amended on July 23, 2025, permits corrective labor for such individuals under conditions, and Article 53.1 does not prohibit forced labor.
• It specifies that a lack of registration at a place of residence does not by itself prove the absence of permanent residence when courts consider restriction of liberty.
• A draft proposal would allow judges to bar defendants from engaging in clearly defined activities, including in information technology, government contracting, and microfinance.
• The projects were reviewed at a Plenum session chaired by Igor Krasnov and have been sent to the Plenum’s editorial commission for further editing.