MOSCOW, January 21. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian lawmakers have called for giving more powers to the secret services in combating terrorists, noting that their current authority is insufficient for successful antiterror fight.
"In my opinion /it is both my and my faction's position/, the secret services lack enough authority; we're working on having this authority increased," deputy chairman of the committee on security and combating corruption under the State Duma lower house of Russia's parliament Andrei Lugovoi said at a news conference at Itar-Tass on Tuesday. Lugovoi was commenting on the package of anti-terrorism amendments submitted to the parliament earlier this month.
Head of the committee Irina Yarovaya underlined that the proposed measures only filled in legitimacy gaps. "As for extra FSB authority, there is no such authority," she said. "There's filling in legitimacy gaps."
She reminded that administrative legislation had two articles spelling out the powers and procedure for inspection as part of the measures, and the bodies which are authorized to conduct such inspections. "This authority is given to bailiffs and gamekeepers within the limits of their competence. Oddly, the FSB was the only agency which had no such authority for some reason," Yarovaya said underlining that it was an obvious legal gap.
The package which expands the powers of the Federal Security Service in combating terrorism and toughens penalties for terrorism, including on the Internet, was submitted to the State Duma on January 15.
The authors of the documents are lawmakers of all the four actions of the lower house, led by chairwoman of the committee for security and combating corruption Irina Yarovaya /United Russia faction/.