Results of our studies

IN BRIEF

The initiative to amnesty businessmen guilty of committing economic crimes is ambiguously perceived by Russians. Bloggers tend to support this initiative.

MOSCOW, May 27, 2013. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data concerning the attitudes of Russians towards the idea to amnesty businessmen convicted of economic crimes. The press release contents the social media monitoring conducted by the Social Networks Agency.

Results of nationwide poll

The idea to amnesty businessmen guilty of economic crimes is ambiguously assessed by Russians: it is supported by 33% and opposed by 36% of Russians; other 31% are hard to answer.

 The number of those supporting the idea is bigger among those who have friends being entrepreneurs (38%), rather than among those who do not know entrepreneurs (27%); the idea is also positively assessed by residents of big cities (48%) and persons who have high level of education (39%). The negative assessment is expressed by those who have low level of education (47%).

Those who support the idea of amnesty say that many entrepreneurs were wrongly convicted (23%). Thirteen percent believe that the convicted businessmen have redeemed their faults; 12% believe that it is pointless to keep imprisoned those persons who did not cause any harm to others.  Besides, 9% say that there are more serious crimes; 6% propose to give businessmen an opportunity to work and pay taxes; 5% say that being released they will be more helpful.

Respondents who negatively assess the initiative say that thieves must be imprisoned (70%). Others say that the law must be common for anyone (5%), or that being released entrepreneurs will commit a crime again (5%).

Results of social media monitoring

According to social media monitoring conducted by Social Networks Agency, the attitudes of bloggers towards this initiative can be described as negative (46% of posts) or neutral (44%); only 10% of publications were positive.

During the discussion most of social media users tried to express their opinion on the possible amnesty (84%). They discussed what categories would be amnestied in case the amnesty is announced (29%), as well as reasons and prerequisites for this initiative (18%).

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on May 18-19, 2013. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 130 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

Social Media Monitoring was conducted by the Social Networks Agency on April 20 – May 22, 2013 using the open search engines (Blogs.Yandex.ru, Blogsearch.google.ru) and special searching tool. A total of 206 relevant publications were analyzed.

Results of nationwide poll

Over the recent years about 600 000 businessmen were convicted of economic crimes in Russia. Many of them caused no harm to anyone. There has been an initiative to announce amnesty to those who were convicted of economic crimes. About 100 000 entrepreneurs would be released. Do you support the initiative? (close-ended question, one answer)

 

Total respondents

Those who have entrepreneurs among friends

No

Definitely support

12

14

9

Rather support

21

24

18

Rather not support

18

18

18

Definitely not support

18

17

20

Hard to tell

31

28

35

 

 

 

Why do you support/oppose the initiative? (open-ended question, any number of answers)

% of those who support the amnesty of businessmen guilty of economic crimes

% of those who oppose the amnesty of businessmen guilty of economic crimes

Many were wrongly convicted

23

Thieves must be imprisoned

70

They have redeemed their faults 

13

Law is common for anyone

5

If there are no victims, why are they imprisoned?

12

Being released they will continue committing crimes

5

There are more serious crimes

9

Why then were they punished?

3

Let them work and pay taxes

6

It depends on why each of them is imprisoned

2

They will be more profit if they are released

5

Others

1

each case should be examined separately 

3

Hard to tell

15

Their imprisonment costs too much

3

 

 

Let them pay and be released

2

 

 

Our laws are far from being perfect

2

 

 

Others

2

 

 

Hard to tell

22

 

 

               

 

Results of social media monitoring

Attitudes of social media users towards the initiative

(% of the total number of relevant publications)

Negative

46

Neutral

44

Positive

10

Questions  discussed within this subject

(% of the total number of relevant publications)*

General attitudes towards possible amnesty

83

Persons under amnesty in case the law is adopted

29

Reasons and prerequisites for the initiative

18

* The sum exceeds 100% as many other topics were discussed in one publication.

 

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!

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