State Duma adopts bill on terror threat levels in first reading

The Russian State Duma has passed a bill in the first reading, allowing Russia to announce the so-called "colour" levels of terror threat. The appropriate changes drafted by the FSB will be made in the Federal Law "On Combating Terrorism". According to the authors of the bill, they will allow the relevant structures to promptly react to threats of terror acts, such as the one committed in Domodedovo on January 24.

According to the draft legislation, Russian President will get the right to introduce three levels of terror threat: increased (blue), high (yellow) and critical (red). It is assumed that, based on every threat level, special services will be able to take additional measures for ensuring people's safety. The details of these measures will be determined by the head of the state.

"No additional measures to restrict human rights and freedoms, when any level of terror threat is declared, are assumed," the bill emphasizes. It also proposes to entrust the command of the counterterrorist operation (CTO) to the official, who has made a decision to undertake it. In the course of operation, the command may be changed only by the Director of the FSB.

The document also introduces a ban on interference of any other person, regardless of his position, into the command of the units, included into the grouping of forces and means, once the commander of the CTO has made a decision to start it.