Statement by YABLOKO’s Bureau, 28.02.2014

Today YABLOKO’s Bureau adopted a statement against the package of the so called “anti-terrorism” laws passed by the State Duma, which limit the rights of the Internet users, actually abolish e-payments and increase the criminal responsibility for terrorism. The first reading of the three bills will take place today.

The YABLOKO party expresses absolute disagreement with the bills introduced by all the State Duma’s factions and claims that the policy of cutting the rights and freedoms takes place under the pretense of fighting against terrorism.

“We call the State Duma deputies to reject the proposed amendments and to immediately go into the question of safety in Russia instead of the imitation of a stormy respond to terrorist attacks,” runs in the statement.

The “antil-terrorism” bills were introduced immediately after the tragic events in Volgograd. The authors of the drafts cynically use the horrible terrorist attacks for tightening the screws and fighting against dissidence.

The first bill suggests that every website and even personal accounts should pass a notifying registration at the bodies of power. The owners of websites will be obliged to keep all the information including comments, private correspondence of the users, search requests and so on over a six months period and provide it upon the request of police or the Federal Security Service.

The bill covers the organisations which lie outside Russia but have Russian users. If, for example, Facebook, refuses to keep its Russia’s users information, it may become a reason for ban of Facebook in Russia.

The YABLOKO party claims that the purpose of this bill is to, firstly, take control over dissidents and, secondly, to develop a business of selling private data.

The other bill aims to abolish e-payments.

The third bill increases the criminal responsibility for terrorism and accessory to terrorism.

“The authorities admit their own powerlessness by introducing such an initiative as the persons connected with terrorism suppose the possibility of a fatal result of their actions beforehand, and by no judicial procedure: the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is the last thing that is of interest to them,” runs in the statement.

The FSB agents are given the right to check the documents, carry a personal inspection and vehicle search. There’s actually no limit of this right: “very loose” definitions, “illegal actions” and “illegal goals” are used. “The package of bills demonstrates that the authorities offers nothing for the real fight against terrorism but cynically uses the terrible crimes for the further reversal of civil rights and freedoms,” states YABLOKO’s Bureau.