Abstract
One of the problems of the modern world is riots. They happen regardless of the development of sectoral legislation, including criminal ones. Legal systems qualify the functions of certain participants in these actions in different ways, in connection with which the tendency of separating organizational activities into a separate corpus delicti is currently becoming relevant. Russian criminal legislation in this context seems to be very progressive, however, despite the existence of an appropriate criminal law norm, the practice of bringing to responsibility in accordance with paragraph 1 of Art. 212 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation demonstrates controversial situations. So, quite a few questions arise in relation to the subject composition of the organization of mass riots and the internal mental attitude of the offender to the unlawful functionality that he carries out in relation to other participants in mass riots. The purpose of writing a research paper is to identify the existing problems of criminal liability for organizing mass riots. The author comes to the conclusion that at present, situations are widespread when persons under the age of 16 act as organizers of mass riots, which excludes the possibility of imposing punishment on them in accordance with the qualifications of their actions under paragraph 1 of Art. 212 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Attention is focused on preventing adolescents from being prosecuted from the age of 14 for participation in mass riots and qualifications for other articles of actions of organizers of the same age, in connection with which it is proposed to improve the relevant criminal law norms. It is noted that the organizers of the riots and the persons who prepare them have a direct intent to commit a crime, which is clearly reflected in the goals and motives of unlawful behavior.