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Russia’s National Guard to interact with counterparts from other countries

Putin announced the creation of the National Guard in reorganization of the Interior Ministry troops at a meeting held on April 5

MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. Russia’s National Guard that will be established on order by President Vladimir Putin is expected to get the right to interact with competent bodies of other countries, according to the draft presidential decree posted on the regulation.gov.ru website on Monday.

The draft presidential decree sets forth the Regulations on the country’s National Guard.

The document says, in particular, that for the purposes of exercising its powers, the National Guard shall have the right "to counteract in compliance with international treaties and legislation of the Russian Federation with the competent bodies of foreign states and international organizations in the established spheres of activity" and "organize on a paid or gratuitous basis the training of personnel for the law-enforcement agencies of foreign states."

The National Guard is also expected to be vested with the right to request federal executive authorities, the bodies of state authority in the constituent members of the Russian Federation and other state agencies, local self-government bodies and public associations and organizations, officials and citizens and receive from them in an established procedure documents, reference and other materials required for making decisions on the issues referred to their established spheres of activity, and suspend or limit in emergency situations the use of any communications networks and communications means, and also to exercise the right to the priority use of these communications networks and communications means.

Under the draft Regulations, the National Guard head will have the service decorations and awards funds, including the funds of firearms and cold arms, for decorating National Guard servicemen, employees and also persons assisting in the performance of tasks and the exercise of powers placed upon the National Guard.

Putin announced the creation of the National Guard in reorganization of the Interior Ministry troops at a meeting held on April 5 with Interior Troops Commander Viktor Zolotov, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Director of the Federal Drug Control Service Viktor Ivanov and First Deputy Head of the Federal Migration Service Yekaterina Yegorova.

Later the presidential decree on establishing the National Guard as a new federal service was published, after which a bill on the National Guard was submitted to Russia’s parliament.

Under the presidential decree, Viktor Zolotov has been appointed as the commander of Russia’s National Guard.

Russia’s newly-created National Guard to have no right to shoot at crowd - bill

The National Guard, which Russia is creating to fight terror and crime under a decree by Russian President Putin, will be prohibited to shoot at crowds, if people may be casually hurt, according to a bill submitted by Putin to parliament on April 6.

The bill submitted to the lower house of Russia’s parliament regulates the activity of the country’s National Guard.

"It shall be prohibited to use firearms against women with the visible signs of pregnancy, people with the apparent signs of disability and underage persons, except for the cases when such persons put up armed resistance, make an assault involving a group of attackers or commit another attack threatening the life and health of citizens or a National Guard serviceman, and it shall also be prohibited to use firearms at largely crowded places, if their use may casually hurt people," the bill reads.

At the same time, the bill allows National Guard servicemen to seal off areas to fight mass riots.

"National Guard troops shall have the right to seal off (block) areas … when they hold measures to fight mass riots or other actions impeding the traffic of transport vehicles, the work of communications means and organizations," the bill says.

The bill also allows National Guard servicemen to block cars and pedestrians in extraordinary situations and use citizens’ motor vehicles to come to the scene of an extraordinary event or chase criminals.

"For the purpose of an emergency regime, National Guard servicemen shall be allowed to temporarily prohibit or restrict the traffic of motor vehicles or pedestrians on streets and roads, carry out their inspection for the purposes of protecting the life, health and property of citizens," the bill says.

Russia’s National Guard will also have the powers to check citizens’ documents and detain them but in this case the so-called Miranda rule will be used to inform detained persons about their rights.

Under the bill, National Guard servicemen will be authorized "to check citizens’ identification documents, if there are sufficient grounds to suspect them of committing a crime or an administrative offence."

The National Guard will have the powers to detain and hand over to the police "the persons suspected of committing a crime or an administrative offence" and also other persons "for the purpose of establishing their identity."

Under the bill, the National Guard will be empowered to detain persons escaping from custody or evading criminal or administrative punishment and persons on the wanted list.

Russia’s National Guard will consist of both conscripts and contract personnel, the bill says.

The adoption of the bill on the National Guard won’t require any additional funds from the federal budget, the bill’s financial and economic substantiation says.