Article 13. Necessary defense.
An act is not a crime if, although it falls within the category of an act specified in the Special Part of the present Code, it was committed in a state of necessary defense; that is, in defending the interests of the Soviet state, social interest, the person or rights of the individual defending himself or another person, against socially dangerous infringement by means of inflicting harm on the infringer, provided that the limit of necessary defense were not exceeded.
Obvious disparity between the defense and the character and danger of the infringement constitutes going beyond the limits of necessary defense.
Article 14. Extreme necessity.
An act is not a crime if, although it falls within the category of an act specified in the Special Part of the present Code, it was committed in a state of extreme necessity; that is, in order to eliminate a danger threatening the interests of the Soviet state, social interests, the person or rights of the individual in question or other citizens, provided that under the circumstances in question such danger could not have been eliminated by other means, and also provided that the damage caused is less extensive than the damage that it was prevented.
Article 15. Liability for making preparations for a crime and attempting a crime.
Finding or arranging the means or weapons, or any other intentional creation of the conditions for the commission of a crime, constitutes preparation for a crime.
A premeditated act directly aimed at the commission of a crime constitutes an attempted crime, provided the crime was not carried out for reasons not depending upon the will of the guilty party.
Punishment for making preparations for a crime and for an attempted crime is assigned in accordance with that article in the Special Part of the present Code which specifies the liability for the crime in question.
In assigning punishment the court shall take into account the character and degree of social danger of the acts committed by the guilty party, the extent to which the criminal intentions were carried out, and the causes why the crime was not consummated.
