22.12.08

The Russian government has introduced amendments to the Criminal Code, Articles 275 (Treason against State) and 276 (Espionage) and introducing Article 283 (Commentary). The amendments specify such form of treason as “rendering help to a foreign party to the damage of Russia’s national security.” Earlier versions vaguely referred to “other help” but the new amendments specify it as “rendering financial, material, technical, consultative and other help,” and not only to foreign states or organizations only, but also to international organizations. According to an employee of law enforcement agency, the changes were initiated due to the fact that previous phrasing made it nearly impossible to prove “other help” in courts.

Article 283 (Commentary) makes obtaining state secrets by “theft, deception, extortion, intimidation or threat of violence” punishable byr up to 9 years in prison.  The explanatory memorandum states that those prosecutable are not limited to those who have access to state secrets, but also those who attempt to obtain this data, including security services of commercial organizations trying to access state secrets on raw minerals.

President Dmitry Medvedev issued an order appointing Sergey Naryshkin, the head of president’s administration, to serve as chairman of Interdepartmental Commission for Protection of State Secrets. Sergey Grigorov, director of the Federal Service for technical and export control, who previously chaired the Commission, will serve as vice-chairman. The same source in a law enforcement agency explained that this reshuffle and amendments to the Criminal Code are two sides of the same process: it is long-prepared promotion of Commission’s status due a raised emphasis on state secrets. This decision is additionally result of difficult economic situation and necessity for a change in how state economic secrets are kept secrets, assures a former FSB officer.

• Defender of the State Secret

Commission for Protection of the State Secrets was created in 1995. At different times it was headed by Oleg Soskovets, Ilya Klebanov, and Aleksey Kudrin. According to a high ranking official, an object of state secret is established by government departments, and the Commission determines how to provide the required security.

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Source: “Vedomosti”