Moscow, 29 Dec. (LaPresse) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law lowering the minimum age to take the Russian citizenship oath from 18 to 14 years. The document, cited by Moscow media, was published on the official legal acts website. The law also clarifies the procedure for the entry into force of the citizenship approval decision: it is considered valid from the day the oath is taken. If within one year from that date someone refuses or fails to appear to take the oath, their citizenship will be considered invalid. Furthermore, the decision to grant citizenship expires if the applicant dies before taking the oath. The bill was approved by the State Duma on 10 December. The amendments were proposed to “strengthen patriotic spirit and the conscious commitment to respect the Constitution and the legislation.” Previously, only adults were required to take the oath when acquiring Russian citizenship.
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