Putin signed law expanding police powers

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law expanding the powers of the police. The document was published on December 21 on the official Internet portal of legal information.

The law, in particular, gives police officers the right to enter residential and other premises, land and territories for detention, as well as cordon off buildings and territories. The police are allowed to introduce themselves to the detainee after the termination of his illegal actions.

In addition, police officers gain the right to open cars to save lives and ensure the safety of citizens or public safety during riots and emergencies, to detain suspects or accused persons, as well as when a terrorist attack is threatened.

Also, police officers now have the right to require citizens, if they apply, to give their last name, first name and patronymic.

In addition, police officers may conduct personal searches of citizens, their belongings and their vehicles, if there is reason to believe that they have weapons, ammunition, cartridges for weapons, explosives, explosive devices, drugs or their precursors, poisonous or radioactive substances. Also, police officers were allowed to conduct personal searches of citizens if there is reason to believe that they are hiding items of theft.

Earlier, on December 15, it was reported that the law on expanding the powers of the police was approved by the Federation Council. It was noted that provisions were excluded from the text that exempted police officers from responsibility for actions during execution, as well as allowing them to open fire if the detainee was simply trying to get closer.

Prior to that, on December 8, the State Duma adopted amendments to the federal law “On Police”, which expand the powers of law enforcement officers, in the third reading. The amendments were introduced to the State Duma by the government in May 2020 and adopted in the first reading in December of the same year.