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Bill to expand FSB powers to fight terrorism to get full support in Federation Council

MOSCOW, January 15, 22:26 /ITAR-TASS/. The package of bills to expand powers of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in the fight against terrorism and to toughen punishment for terrorist activities will find complete support and understanding among members of the upper house of parliament, Viktor Ozerov, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defence and Security, told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

“We are ready to support all that aims to oppose terrorism. This precisely is the aim of the package of bills that expand the powers of the FSB and upgrade penalties not only for terrorists but also for those who mastermind terrorist acts and are accomplices in them,” Ozerov said.

“I believe the package of bills submitted by the State Duma will find understanding and support among members of the Federation Council,” he said. “Perhaps, we will make proposals on a number of articles for the second reading,” he noted. He also commended the suggestion of the first deputy speaker of the Federation Council, Aleksandr Torshin, to upgrade penalties for illegal trafficking of arms and explosives. “The punishment for this is presently much lighter than for narcotics trafficking,” he said.

Torshin, who is also member of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, remarked that the legislative initiatives referred to the State Duma, proposing a set of additional legal instruments and mechanisms for higher effectiveness of fighting terrorism, are much in need now. “We, legislators, wish to ensure that law enforcers should have the necessary powers to fight terrorism,” he said.

Torshin supported upgrading penalties for any crimes of terrorism, including the staging of terrorist acts, masterminding and financing terrorism, forming the terrorist ring and participating in it, as well as training in terrorist camps. He believes that amendments proposing to lessen opportunities for electronic transfer of funds are timely, too. He did not agree with those concerned least these measures should lead to the state’s undue control over the internet space. “There will be no limits on the sums of payments in settlements with the use of personal accounts,” he is sure.

The Federation Council commission for the development of the information community also supported the bill proposing a number of measures to restrict terrorists’ actions on the internet. “The text needs refining, and we will be doing just that jointly with experts on the pad of the Federation Council,” Ruslan Gattarov, the commission’s chairman, told Itar-Tass.

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