The MPs gave a first reading to amendments to the Penal Code by which the punishments for mercenaries and organizers of these are made harsher. The authors of the proposal admit that the harsher penalties will not fully eliminate the phenomenon of mercenarism, but note that any person should be aware of the inevitability of criminal liability for such crimes, IPN reports.

Under the bill, the participation by mercenaries in an armed conflict, military or other kinds of violent actions aimed at disrupting or undermining constitutional order or at violating the territorial integrity of the state will be punished with five to ten years in jail, as opposed to three to seven years at present.

Also, the employment, training, financing of mercenaries and their use in an armed conflict, military or other kinds of violent actions aimed at disrupting or undermining constitutional order or at violating the territorial integrity of the state will be punished with 10 to 15 years in jail. Currently, the punishment is five to 10 years behind bars.

Mercenary is a soldier who will fight for any country or group that offers payment. The person is not a citizen of a conflict party, does not reside on the territory controlled by a conflict party, is not a member of the armed forces of a conflict party and is not sent by a state on an official mission as a member of the armed forces of this state.

The legislative proposal was formulated by MPs Mihail Popșoi, Kiril Moțpan, Alexandru Jizdan, Igor Grosu, and Virgiliu Pâslariuc. The bill is to be given a final reading.