Russian President Vladimir Putin passed a law that allows Federal Security Service (FSB) agents to open fire on crowds, according to reports posted on the government's legal information website.
According to the Moscow Times, the bill was passed through the Russian parliament and the Kremlin, despite human rights activist protesting against it. The new law gives FSB agents the power to "withhold any warnings of their intention to use weapons, special means or physical force."
The new law gives FSB officers to open fire on crowds to prevent possible acts of terror. This includes taking hostages and even launching attacks on government buildings. They are also given the power to shoot disabled people, women, and even children should there be an act of terror.
There are 11 scenarios mentioned in the amendment where FSB agents will be permitted to carry out an open fire on a crowd of people. Besides firing on a crowd, Times of India reported that the FSB agents are given power by the new law to take fingerprints on people at state boarders and conduct searches on any property if there are reasons to believe on a possible terror act.
The Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty wrote that Russian human rights activists were alarmed with the passage of this law. The Russian Presidential Human Rights Council, whose job is to advise the government, appealed to Putin not to sign the law that lets the FSB use weapons on crowds.
According to the petition, "Adopting the bill in its current form is absolutely unacceptable, because it violates the fundamental human rights to life and health." It added that the law should have been reviewed by legal experts, and must undergo public discussion.
The 85-year-old Russian human rights icon Lyudmila Alexseyeva signed the appeal to the president of the country. Lev Ponomarev is another prominent person who signed the petition.
