New bill may give Russian spy service KGB-style powers

New bill may give Russian spy service KGB-style powersAccording to the critics, a new bill backed by the Russian parliament would greatly extend the powers of the country's spy service FSB, transforming it into a KGB-style organization.

It has been reported that the bill was passed Monday by the upper house of the Russian Duma. First proposed after the terrorist attacks on the Moscow subway system in March, it would enable officers from the FSB, the successor of the KGB and the country's main spy service, to take preventive action against people suspected of planning crimes or extremist activity.

The agents would be able to issue "warnings" to suspects and summon them for questioning. If the suspects refuse the questioning, or go ahead with their plans, they face fines or jail time.

It was also reported that while the Kremlin says the bill is necessary to boost the country's anti-terrorism efforts in light of growing extremism, critics say the new measures could be used to intimidate dissidents, silence journalists researching sensitive stories or prevent opposition demonstrations, pushing back Russia to what it was before the Iron Curtain fell, a police state. The opposition has reacted with outrage.

Galina Mikhalyova of the opposition Yabloko Party told television station Russia Today, "The law is unclear regarding just what the officer is entitled to give warnings about and just what counts as extremism. This can potentially lead to abuses of power. The law also doesn't allow warnings to be challenged in court, since the very reasons for the warnings remain unclear." (With Inputs from Agencies)