Mukhametshin on age limit for weapons: 'Tatarstan proposed it back in 2018'

How Tatarstan intends to change the law on weapons

The topic of the mass murder in Kazan gymnasium No. 175 became the main topic at the meeting of Tatarstan media representatives with the speaker of the State Council of the republic, Farid Mukhametshin, on 19 May. Let us remind that in the wake of the incident, the parliamentarians of Tatarstan began working on a package of draft bills “on regulating the circulation of weapons”. Mukhametshin revealed the details of these proposals:

“The republic intends to raise the age limit for weapon possession to 21 years.”

Mukhametshin reminded: Tatarstan proposed this back in 2018, after the mass murder in Kerch. “The government rejected it... and the State Duma rejected it. If it had been adopted, such a disaster would not have happened to the 175th gymnasium," Mukhametshin said.

The parliamentarians will also propose to introduce a limit on the number of certain types of weapons per owner — “one barrel in one hand”. It is also planned to tighten control over the issuance of medical permits — Mukhametshin did not specify how.

Besides, the speaker of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan revealed the first results of Rosgvardiya audit after the tragedy in gymnasium No. 175. “About 40 barrels were temporarily taken from their owners and registered," Mukhametshin said.

How Mukhametshin criticised journalists for hype on the tragedy

The tragedy has caused a wide response in the media and social networks — and not always for the best. Mukhametshin even said that some parents asked the media not to cover these events anymore. “I had a call, one of the parents called: please, do not cover this topic any more — salt on the wound to us. And again yesterday they showed it on Russian channels," the speaker of the parliament of Tatarstan said.

“At the same time, some media outlets on the wave of hype continue to savour the details of what happened, without thinking about that such a flow becomes painful for the victims. It happened? Yes. It happened in Kerch. [ ... ] But there is someone in society who glorifies crime, forces the media to show these details endlessly. Rubbing salt in the wound," said Farid Mukhametshin.

At the same time, the speaker of the State Council noted the merits of the journalists who covered the tragedy from the first minutes, along with the actions of the school staff and emergency services.

Mukhametshin criticised the representatives of media sphere who are engaged in spreading false information, including in the context of the same tragedy.

“Unfortunately, there are such representatives of media sphere who, in search of hype, sensation and views, engage in unfounded accusations or even the spread of fakes — the so-called deliberately false information. In my opinion, any criticism should be based on facts, moreover, different points of view on the disputed situation should be available. By this we mean the objectivity of the information," he said, without specifying whom he meant.”

At the meeting, Mukhametshin addressed the issue of destructive content in social networks several times — not only in the context of the tragedy in the 175th gymnasium. For example, he spoke about the creation of four new working groups in the State Council on this topic:

“On Monday, I signed an order on the creation of working groups in the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan to analyse changes in legislation in the field of control over the turnover of narcotic and psychotropic substances, the treatment of animals, the circulation of civilian weapons, the dissemination of destructive information on the Internet and social networks.”

As Farid Mukhametshin explained, the main task is “to create such a legislative framework so that there is no dangerous content on the Network”.