State Duma proposes limiting trips abroad for former FSB employees, allegedly for their own safety

A group of deputies representing United Russia, the dominant party in Russian politics, has proposed a bill in the State Duma that would prevent former FSB employees from leaving Russia for a limited time after they leave their positions. The bill, which would be implemented by the FSB itself, suggests prohibiting former agents from traveling outside the country until up to five years after they have left their jobs.

In their comments on the bill, the legislators pointed to “tense international conditions and open animosity and provocation on the part of a number of foreign governments toward the Russian Federation.” They asserted that “increasingly frequent cases of the arrest and criminal prosecution of former FSB employees” within that context justified their proposal, but they did not provide any specific examples of such cases. Under current regulations, former FSB employees are only required to remain in Russia if they had access to confidential information on the job.