State Duma MPs suggest tougher measures against terrorism

On Wednesday, an inter-faction working group has introduced to the Russian State Duma a package of draft laws aimed at tightening the anti-terrorism laws. The draft laws propose to include new articles to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, to severely restrict circulation of electronic money, and to expand the powers of the FSB by allowing its agents to conduct personal searches of citizens.

According to Andrei Lugovoy, a deputy from the Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), the proposals of the group includes increasing the penalties under a number of Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and providing from 10 up to 20 years of imprisonment and up to life imprisonment. According to Andrei Lugovoy, the group proposes to apply more severe punishment not only for committing a terror act or involvement in its plotting, but also for propaganda and training of involved criminals, and to introduce life imprisonment, in particular, for financing of crime.

The proposed draft law expands the powers of FSB agents, which are allowed not only to check identity documents, but also to conduct personal searches of citizens, if there are reasons to suspect them, and to inspect vehicles. This was reported by Leonid Levin, a participant of inter-faction group, a member of the "Spravedlivaya Rossiya" (Fair Russia) Party.

The deputy has stated that commitment of a crime aimed to promote, justify, and support terrorism will be considered as an aggravating circumstance.