The Criminal Code of each country ensures punishment for crimes against the government, for treason, and activities aimed at challenging the existing political system. Punishment, as a rule, prescribes either imprisonment from several years to life, or the death penalty. Particularly interesting for investigation is the number of people convicted of such violations, or rather the tendency of change of their total number. Studies show that during the war and after the war, the frequency of crimes is increasing. And in a period that can be described as "unstable" – which may imply, for example, a weakening economy or a cold war – there is often a surge in proceedings and arrests on charges of espionage and other actions that undermine the security of the state.
In a period from 2010 to 2020, the number of people convicted of crimes against state in the Russian Federation increased by about 5 times: from 9541 to 51369 people. In 2021, their number rose to 54,139 people, and in 2022 – to 58,667 people; almost the same number of crimes were recorded against the family and minors (50,546), against life and health (60,279), and against traffic safety and operation of transport (64,101).
For comparison, the accusation of actions against the state in Soviet times existed under the name "counter-revolutionary crime". Article 58-1 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR describes it as "... any action aimed at overthrowing, undermining or weakening the power of the workers' and peasants' Soviets and ... the governments of the USSR, Union and autonomous republics, or to undermine or weaken the external security of the USSR ... any actions that damage the military might of the USSR, its state independence or inviolability of its territory; espionage on the side of the enemy, escape or migration abroad."