The FSB has prepared an instruction that will allow the security forces to conduct searches of houses, apartments and vehicles without a court order. The corresponding document was published on the portal of draft regulatory legal acts, Parliamentary Newspaper drew attention to it, writes RBC. The discussion of the project will last until the end of May.
According to the document, court permission for searches will not be needed in cases “that brook no delay and may lead to the commission of a grave or especially grave crime,” as well as if there is information about events and actions that “create a threat to the state, military, economic, information or environmental safety” in Russia. The FSB will have to notify the court of the searches within 24 hours.
To conduct a search, the security forces will need a decision from one of the heads of the security agency – the first deputy director of the FSB, the head of a department or department, their deputies or heads of territorial security agencies.
At the same time, according to the new instructions, the security forces will be able to seize suspicious documents and materials, as well as items for which there is no permission to store, for example, unaccounted for and unregistered weapons, even if they are not related to the case in which the search is being carried out. They can also record searches on camera and use at least two witnesses. It is not necessary to involve them if the searches are carried out “in hard-to-reach areas and (or) in the absence of proper means of communication”, or may threaten the health and life of people.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
