MOSCOW — Russians may now face jail time for crimes they have not yet committed under a new security law signed Thursday by President Dmitry Medvedev.
The law restores Soviet-era powers to the Federal Security Service, the KGB’s main successor agency, a move that rights advocates fear could be used to stifle protests and intimidate the Kremlin’s political opponents. They also say the law’s obscure wording leaves it too open to local interpretation.
The agency, known by its initials FSB, can now issue warnings or detain people suspected of preparing to commit crimes against Russia’s security. Perpetrators face fines or up to 15 days of detention.
The new law was describedas part of an effort to combat extremism and thwart terrorist attacks. It was submitted to Russian lawmakers in April after twin subway bombings inMoscow killed 40 people and the Kremlin faced critical media coverage of its anti-terrorism efforts.
“It’s an ugly law with obscure formulas,” independent political analyst Yulia Latynina said. “In case a drunken FSB officer is shooting at you - and there have been many such cases - you might end up getting jailed for 15 days for merely trying to escape.”
A senior lawmaker said the new powers will protect people from abuse by law enforcement officers, a significant problem in Russia.
“Officers of law enforcement agencies have long talked about the necessity of switching from investigating crimes to their prevention,” Mikhail Margelov, the Kremlin-connected head of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of Russian parliament, said in a statement. “The amendments do not turn the FSB into a new edition of the once-almighty KGB but protect Russian citizens from outrages by men in uniform.”
Some of the law’s most stringent sections, including ones that toughen control over the media for “extremist statements” or allow the Federal Security Service to publish warnings in the press, were removed or toned down after severe criticism from theopposition and even Kremlin loyalists.
Still, a lawmaker with the Communist Party, the largest opposition force in Russia’s rubber-stamp parliament, said the latest changes did not tone down the law’s repressive character.
“Despite all the promises to correct the most odious articles, by the second reading nothing had been changed in the text,” Viktor Ilykhin said.
A Kremlin loyalist, meanwhile, praised the law for its “preventive measures.”
“This is not a repressive law,” Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the nationalist Liberal Democratic party, told Gazeta.ru online daily. “We’re only talking about preventive measures.”
The opposition has accused the Kremlin of turning Russia into a Soviet-style policestate, and many Russians say they have experienced or fear abuse at the hands of Federal Security Service officers.
The legislation continues a trend under Vladimir Putin, who as president for eight years rolled back many of Russia’s democratic initiatives of the 1990s. The former KGB officer and Federal Security Service head allowed the security services to regain power and influence at the expense of Russia’s democratic institutions.
Putin is now prime minister, and many see his intolerance of dissent as influencing Medvedev, his hand-picked successor.
Medvedev, who initiated the bill, responded angrily to criticism of it. He said earlier this month that “each country has the right to perfect its legislation.”
Front Section, Pages 9 on 07/30/2010