An online initiative to soften Russian gun laws by radically broadening the legal definition of self-defense has gathered over 100,000 signatures and must now be considered by parliament.

The petition titled “My home is my fortress” was launched by the Right to Arms organization – a relatively new group that actively promotes the liberalization of gun laws in Russia. The essence of the proposal is that any resistance citizens offer to intruders inside their homes must be considered as necessary self-defense.

Currently, the law only lists as necessary self-defense the actions aimed at protection of personal safety, and against actions that threaten or could potentially threaten human lives. Charges of murder or inflicting grievous bodily harm can be lifted if the suspect proves that he was necessarily acting in self-defense. The Right to Arms initiative suggests that if a confrontation takes place inside a home between the owner and an intruder the burden of proof lies on the intruder.The activists claim that this would prevent cases in which people faced trial and sometimes conviction for protecting themselves and their families against violent aggressors.

via Pro-gun lobby wants to turn Russian homes into fortresses — RT Russian politics.

I always found funny how the Constitutions of many countries cite the inalienable right citizens have to life but have no problem blocking them from obtaining the tools to defend them. Kinda makes you wonder if they really believe it in the first place.