Article 208. Organization of or participation in an illegal armed formation and participation in an armed conflict or hostilities for purposes contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation

1. Establishment of, or management or financing of, an armed formation (construction, group, friendship or other group) not provided for by federal law — 2. Participation in an armed formation other than that provided for by federal law; participation in an armed formation not provided for by the law of that State for purposes contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation 3. The penalty shall be 8 to 15 years ' imprisonment, with a restriction of one to two years ' imprisonment. of a citizen of the Russian Federation or of a stateless person permanently resident in the Russian Federation in an armed conflict, military action or other action involving the use of weapons, and in the territory of a foreign State for purposes contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation (in the absence of any evidence of an offence under article 275 of the present Code) shall be sentenced to 12 to 20 years ' imprisonment with a fine of up to 500,000 roubles, or to the amount of the convicted person ' s salary or other income for a period of up to three years, or be liable to a fine of up to five hundred thousand roubles. For the first time, a person who committed an offence under the first-instance article voluntarily ceases to take part in the crime of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, or who has committed a crime under the first-instance article, has ceased to participate voluntarily in the crime of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The illegal armed formation and the surrender of weapons shall be exempt from criminal liability unless the act contains a different offence.