Russia's parliament is considering new legislation which would give the state the power to seize the property of people convicted for defamation of the armed forces or for calling publicly for actions that undermine state security.
The new bill would allow the state to seize the property of Russians who have left the country and have criticised the war but who continue to rely on revenue from renting out their houses or apartments in Russia.
Criticising what Moscow calls its 'special military operation' in Ukraine has effectively been a crime in Russia from the day it began almost two years ago, but the new bill aims to make penalties for that even tougher.
The move has drawn comparisons with the witch hunts of the 1930s under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin with their 'enemy of the state' rhetoric and could affect thousands of Russians who have spoken out against Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
According to Mail Online, the speaker of the State Duma lower house of parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, has dubbed the new bill 'the scoundrel law'.
Volodin while announcing the submission of the new bill at the weekend also said everyone who tries to destroy the country must be punished accordingly and pay for the damage caused in the form of their property.
“Everyone who tries to destroy Russia, betrays it, must be published accordingly and repay the damage to the country in the form of their property,” he said
News of the new bill comes as Vladimir Putin's campaign staff today presented scores of boxes filled with signed petitions supporting his run in the March presidential election - a vote in which he's almost certain to win another term in office.
Putin, although closely tied to the dominant United Russia party, is running as an independent, a path that would prolong his grip on Russia for at least another six years.
The 71-year-old leader has twice used his leverage in the past to amend the constitution so he could theoretically stay in power until he's in his mid-80s.
He is already the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Stalin, who died in 1953.
Russian election law requires independent candidates to present at least 300,000 signatures gathered from 40 regions of the country to get on the ballot.
Russian news reports said Putin's campaign staff brought in 95 cardboard boxes, filled with signed petitions, to the Central Elections Commission.
Previous reports said the campaign had collected more than 2 million signatures.