He wrote in the committee’s assessment that ‘the bill will serve the improvement of criminal law in the sphere of protecting the state secrets from criminal encroachment and will enhance the efficiency of upholding the security of the Russian Federation.’ The legislation, which was submitted by the Federal Security Service, the successor of the Soviet KGB, offers officials wide room for interpretation and could undercut the development of democracy in Russia, warned Mikhail Fedotov, head of the Presidential Council of Civic Society and Human Rights.Īndrei Klishas, head of the upper house’s committee on constitutional law, legal issues and civic society development, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The bill was approved by 138 of the 139 lawmakers present in the Federal Council, the parliament’s upper house. The legislation, which will become law if signed by President Vladimir Putin, expands the definition of espionage and high treason to encompass ‘the rendering of financial, material-technical or other assistance to a foreign state, international or other organization or their representatives in the activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation.’ MOSCOW - The upper house of Russia’s parliament voted Wednesday to broaden the definition of espionage and high treason, continuing what many activists view as a crackdown on dissent in the country. This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links.