Subject The article investigates how rulings of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation influence the number of criminal prosecution cases. Objectives The research studies the correlation between the practical use of money laundering crimes in the Russian Federation and factual legalization of proceeds. I examine the way the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation construes criminal provisions on money laundering. Methods The research involves methods of logic analysis and synthesis, method of legal comparison, idealization. Results Having analyzed statistical data and a percentage of money laundering crimes out of total crimes, I point out small numbers of such cases initiated under Article 174 and 174.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Studying some criminal cases of money laundering, I inferred on the formal approaches and absurdity of court sentences and decisions. The enforcement of such criminal liability does not comply with international recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering. Conclusions and Relevance The existing law enforcement practice is not compliant with the FATF recommendations. Considering statistical data on criminal liability, one may conclude that Russia seems to have no cases of money or other property laundering. The findings can be used to formulate the governmental policy for criminal prosecution for money laundering.
Kosarev S.Yu. [Some peculiarities of investigation the legalization (laundering) of incomes obtained by crime]. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskoi yuridicheskoi akademii = Bulletin of Saint Petersburg Juridical Academy, 2014, no. 3, pp. 80–83. (In Russ.)
Volkov V.V. [Initial prosecution proceedings as part of money laundering investigations]. Vestnik Ural'skogo finansovo-yuridicheskogo instituta = Bulletin of the Ural Institute of Finance and Law, 2017, no. 2, pp. 33–36. (In Russ.)
Shapiro L.G. [Legal and criminalistics aspects of counteraction to legalization (laundering) of proceeds of crime]. Vestnik Saratovskoi gosudarstvennoi yuridicheskoi akademii = Bulletin of the Saratov State Law Academy, 2016, no. 4, pp. 209–214. (In Russ.)
Mironov S.B., Mironova T.B. [Main problems of operative research activities in identifying the facts of legalization (money laundering) of proceeds from crime]. Voprosy rossiiskogo i mezhdunarodnogo prava = Matters of Russian and International Law, 2016, vol. 6, no. 10A, pp. 237–247. (In Russ.)
Yurov A.V. [Current state of cash in circulation in Russia]. Den'gi i kredit = Money and Credit, 2015, no. 4, pp. 9–11. (In Russ.)
Pozdeeva E.N., Yavorskii M.A. [The problems of determining the object of legalization of money facility and other property obtained by criminal way]. Nauka XXI veka: aktual'nye napravleniya razvitiya = Science of the 21st Century: Actual Directions of Development, 2019, no. 1-2, pp. 303–307. (In Russ.)
Sal'keev A.M. [The main directions of improvement and development of new measures for prosecuting money laundering or legalization of other property obtained illegally in the Republic of Kazakhstan]. ScienceTime, 2019, no. 2, pp. 18–19. (In Russ.)
Ason T.A. [Offshore business in the Russian Federation]. Sovremennye nauchnye issledovaniya i razrabotki, 2019, no. 1, pp. 134–142. (In Russ.) URL: Link
Dolgieva M.M. [Сryptocurrency transactions: Topical issues of theory and practice of criminal law application]. Aktual'nye problemy rossiiskogo prava = Actual Problems of Russian Law, 2019, no. 4, pp. 128–139. URL: Link (In Russ.)
