Consuls will control the interrogation of Russians abroad

A group of State Duma deputies, headed by Vasily Piskarev, chairman of the Duma Security Committee (United Russia), submitted a bill to the State Duma that would clarify the procedure for law enforcement officers to work with Russians abroad. According to the amendments to Art. 453 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP) of Russia, a court, a prosecutor, an investigator, a head of an investigative body, an interrogating officer will be able to ask for an interrogation, including via videoconferencing, or for the transfer of procedural documents through consular officials. This will be possible “in exceptional cases” and in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Russia.

The current version of Art. 453 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (“Sending a request for legal assistance”), which the deputies want to supplement, does not imply any actions without the participation of representatives of the state in which the Russian is located. Part 1 of this article, for example, states that if it is necessary to conduct “interrogation, inspection, seizure, search, forensic examination or other procedural actions” on the territory of another country, the law enforcement officer applies to competent officials of a foreign state.