MOSCOW (AP) — The upper house of Russia’s parliament has passed a bill granting expanded powers to the country’s main security agency, a move that critics say echoes the era of the Soviet KGB.
The bill, which now goes to President Dmitry Medvedev to be signed into law, would allow the Federal Security Service to issue warnings to people suspected of preparing to commit crimes against Russia’s security.
Human rights and democracy activists say this power could be used to intimidate government opponents and stifle protests.
The security service is the main successor agency to the KGB.
The bill was approved Monday by the upper house by a vote of 121-1. The sole vote against was cast by the house’s speaker, Sergei Mironov, who said he had was apprehensive about the measure.
