Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree “On additional guarantees for the protection of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of persons suspected and accused of committing crimes.” In accordance with this decree, pre-trial detention centers of the Federal Security Service were transferred to the penal system of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.

The presidential decree will be in force until the corresponding federal law is adopted.

As the press service of the head of state reports today, in accordance with the document, in order to create additional guarantees to ensure the protection of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of persons suspected and accused of committing crimes, taking into account the recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, pre-trial detention centers of the Federal Security Service are transferred in the prescribed manner into the penal system.

This measure is one of the requirements of the Council of Europe in the field of human rights. Let us recall that the transfer of the Russian prison system to the control of an agency not related to the investigation was one of the main conditions on which Russia was admitted to the Council of Europe in 1996. The withdrawal of the pre-trial detention center from the control of the FSB is the fulfillment of promises made to PACE. So, back in 1997. the entire department of execution of punishments was taken away from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and transferred to the Ministry of Justice. Some time ago, the FSB pre-trial detention center was transferred to the subordination of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but after some time it was returned to the jurisdiction of the FSB. The current decision should reassure European experts and Russian human rights activists.

The Federal Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice of Russia unites 765 correctional colonies, 195 pre-trial detention centers, eight prisons and 115 “premises operating in the mode of pre-trial detention centers and prisons,” as well as 62 educational colonies. As of May 1, 2005, 786.9 thousand people were kept in penal institutions.

V. Putin transferred the FSB pre-trial detention center to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice