Lower House Committee offers protection for citizens reporting corruption

The State Duma Committee for Security and Countering Corruption has approved a draft law offering state protection to those who reveal facts of corruption to law enforcement agencies. The bill will now progress to the first reading in the Duma.The bill, developed by the Labor Ministry and drafted in the Lower House by the government in mid-October this year, offers state protection to those who report corruption to state agencies. It considers crimes in federal, regional or municipal power bodies or in state-run organizations. The exact measures listed in the draft include making sure that the report remains confidential; free legal advice; protection from unlawful sacking or other sanctions at work; and protection from any other infringement of the citizen’s rights. In particular, the bill states that a person reporting facts about corruption can be remanded only after a special commission session with the participation of a local prosecutor. The term of protection is set at two years from the moment of the original report.