Posted on 07/21/2010 1:02:21 AM PDT by kronos77
MOSCOW — The upper house of Russia's parliament on Monday passed a bill granting expanded powers to the country's main security agency, a move that critics say echoes the era of the Soviet KGB.
The bill, which now goes to President Dmitry Medvedev to be signed into law, would allow the Federal Security Service to issue warnings to people suspected of preparing to commit crimes against Russia's security.
Human rights and democracy activists say this power could be used to intimidate government opponents and stifle protests.
"This law is targeted against the opposition ... It's a draconian law which is unprecedented in the world and is reminiscent of our repressive past," Boris Nemtsov, a leader of the opposition Solidarity movement, was quoted as saying by the news agency Interfax.
The security service is the main successor agency to the KGB.
The bill was approved by the upper house by a vote of 121-1. The sole vote against was cast by the house's speaker, Sergei Mironov, who said he had was apprehensive about the measure.
Opposition groups frequently are denied permission to hold rallies or are allowed to hold them only in out-of-the-way neighborhoods. Riot police often break up unsanctioned rally attempts swiftly and brutally.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Oh the horror of this new law! I wonder why "Human Rights Activists" (i.e., Liberals) are against this draconian law?
They are (mostly) dead Jim!
The caterpillar went into chrysallis, and now the metamorphosis is almost over and it is about to emerge. Hopefully when it does (the New Russia that learned from the errors of the Soviet way, and emerges as a stronger potential threat) it will NOT find Obama as president. Particularly when yet another monster just emerged from its pupaic stage, in the form of China that is in my opinion a far greater threat than Russia even.
Obama once talked of a multi-polar world. He may just get it, and he'll find that it is not the utopia he believed it would be.
This is a weird sounding “power.” It sounds like the analogue of a policeman writing a warning ticket.
And having your car towed and you bump your head as you are getting out of it.
>>”The sole vote against was cast by the house’s speaker, Sergei Mironov...”<<
I wonder how long it will be until Sergei Mironov commits ‘suicide’? RIP, Sergei....you’re toast.
Didn’t 0bama just sign an EO stating pretty much the same outcome for his enemies?
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