A few weeks back I bookmarked this story on a potential Russian treason law but never got around to putting my thoughts down.  The big thing that sticks out for me is this:

The bill would add non-governmental organizations based anywhere in the world that have an office in Russia to the list of banned recipients of state secrets. The government has repeatedly accused foreign spy agencies of using NGOs as a cover to foment dissent. 

For your records, an NGO = nongovernmental organization 

We are talking about organizations such as Amnesty International, Red Cross, or Human Rights Watch… The Russian Government fears that NGOs are tools of foreign governments that are attempting to influence events within Russia. 

That may or may not be true, but I would be hard presses to test the Russian government because…

In a separate development Wednesday, Russia’s upper house of parliament passed legislation that would end jury trials for those facing charges of terrorism and treason. Instead, they would face a panel of judges. 

That means due process is out the window.  If you are accused of terrorism or treason in Russia, you will face a panel of judges – not a jury trial. So, if a Russian based member of Amnesty International accuses Russia of Human Rights volitions in Chechnya you now have a treasonous act.

Scary, no?  

That said, the United States hasn’t been the best when it comes to due process the last few years…