Chapter III. Criminal offenses against liberty, honor and dignity of a person

Article 146. Illegal confinement or abduction of a person

1. Illegal confinement or abduction of a person, -

shall be punishable by restraint of liberty for a term up to three years, or imprisonment for the same term.

2. The same acts committed in regard of a minor, or for mercenary purposes, or in regard of two or more persons, or by a group of persons upon their prior conspiracy, or by a method dangerous to the victim's life or health, or causing bodily suffering to him or her, or with the use of weapons, or within a lasting period of time, -

shall be punishable by restraint of liberty for a term up to five years, or imprisonment for the same term.

3. Any such acts as provided for by paragraph 1 or 2 of this Article, where committed by an organized group, or where they caused any grave consequences, -

shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of five to ten years.

Article 147. Hostage taking

1. Taking or holding a person as a hostage with the intent to induce relatives of the hostage, any government agency or other institution, business or organization, any natural person or any official to make or refrain from any action as a condition for release of the hostage

shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of five to eight years.

2. The same acts committed in respect of a minor, or by an organized group, or accompanied with threats to destroy people, or causing any grave consequences, -

shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of seven to fifteen years.

Article 148. Substitution of a child

Substitution of a anybody else's child based on mercenary or other personal motives, -

shall be punishable by restraint of liberty for a term up to five years, or imprisonment for the same term.

Article 149. Trafficking in human beings and other illegal transfer deals in respect of a human being

1. Sale, or any other illegal deals with regard to a person, as well as entrapment, movement, concealment, or transfer of that person for the purpose of exploitation, involving deceit, blackmail or vulnerable state of a person, -

shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to eight years.

2. The same actions committed in respect of a minor, or several persons, or repeated, or committed by a group of persons upon their prior conspiracy, or through abuse of office, or by a person on whom the victim was financially or otherwise dependent, or involving violence that, however, poses no threat to life or health of the victim or his/her relatives, or accompanied with threat to use violence,  -

shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of five to twelve years, with or without the forfeiture of property.

3. Any such actions as provided for by paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, where committed by an organized group, or involving violence which poses threat to life or health of a victim or his/her relatives, or accompanied with threat to use violence, or where these actions caused any grave consequences, -

shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of eight to fifteen years with or without the forfeiture of property.

Note. 1.  Exploitation of human being in this article are considered all forms of the sexual exploitation, in the porn industry, forced labour or forced servicing, servitude or usages similar to servitude, forced conditions, attraction into the kabala, organs’ extraction, to experiment on a person without its consent, adoption with the purpose of gain, forced pregnancy, involving into criminal activity, using in armed conflicts, etc.

2. In Articles 149 and 303 of this Code a susceptible state of a person shall mean the state of a person caused by physical or mental properties or external circumstances, that eliminates or limits its ability to realize its actions (inaction) or to control them, to take independent decisions, to resist the violent or other unlawful actions, the coincidence of difficult personal, family or other circumstances.

3. Responsibility for impressment, relocation, concealing, transferring or receiving a young or minor under this Article shall occur notwithstanding whether such actions were committed with use of deception, blackmail or susceptible state of the said persons, or with the use of threat to use violence, or use of official position, or by person on whom the victim was materially or other dependent.  (Article 149 as amended by Law No 3316-IV (3316-15) of 01/12/2006)

Article 150. Exploitation of children

1. Exploitation of children, who are under legally employable age, by way of profit-seeking employment, -

shall be punishable by arrest for a term up to six months, or restraint of liberty for a term up to three years, with the deprivation of the right to occupy certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term up to three years.

2. The same actions committed in regard of several children, or where they caused significant harm to health, physical development or educational level of a child, or accompanied with the use of children labor in hazardous production, -

shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of two to five years with the deprivation of the right to occupy certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term up to three years.

Article 150-1. The use of a minor for begging

1. The use by parents or persons substituting them, of a minor for begging (systematic wheedling of money, goods, other inventories from strangers) with purpose of profit, -      

shall be punishable by restrain of liberty for a term of three years or imprisonment for the same period.      

2. The same actions committed in regard of a strange minor  or associated with violence or threat of its use, as well as committed repeatedly or by a person who had previously committed one of the crimes under Articles 150, 303, 304 of this Code, or upon prior conspiracy of a group of persons, –

shall be punishable by restrain of liberty for a term of five years or imprisonment for a term of three to eight years.

2. Actions provided for by paragraphs 1 and 2 of this article, committed by an organized group, or if moderate or serious bodily damage was caused in consequence of such actions, –

       shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term of five to ten years. (This Code is supplemented by the Article 150-1 by Law No 894-VI (894-17) of 01.15.2009)

Article 151. Illegal placement of a person in a mental institution

1. Placement of a person, known to be mentally sane, in a mental institution, -

shall be punishable by arrest for a term of three to six months, or restraint of liberty for a term up to two years, or imprisonment for the same term, with the deprivation of the right to occupy certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term up to three years.

2. The same act that caused any grave consequences, -

shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of two to five years with the deprivation of the right to occupy certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term up to three years.