Legal analysis of the objects of unlawful attacks on witnesses and victims

The article considers the issue of defining the concept of “object of crime” in Russian and domestic criminal law. Based on the scientific works of various years, the current criminal legislation and the practice of applying the norms of criminal law by courts, the author determines the need for a systematic approach to the protection of participants in criminal proceedings under Chapter 31 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It seems that the protection of persons participating in criminal proceedings, including victims and witnesses, is carried out only if the encroachment on them causes direct harm to the normal implementation of criminal proceedings protected by law. Only persons with the status of a participant in criminal proceedings are subject to protection, which contradicts the constitutional principle of equal rights of citizens.