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Last week, the government criticized a bill that would have made it a criminal offense to deny the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II. United Russia deputies had introduced the measure last year. In December, President Dmitry Medvedev and then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin went on record saying the crimes of Josef Stalin could not be justified in any way. The rowdy campaign conducted by the pro-Kremlin Nashi youth group to harass journalist Alexander Podrabinek for his alleged anti-Soviet remarks was quickly halted.