Viktor Ozerov: "Several points in the law on countering terrorism must be clarified"

Guest of the 'Tribuna' programme, the chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, senator from Khabarovsk Territory.

- Recently Ingushetia hosted a visiting session of your Committee. What issues were addressed there?

- It became a good tradition for our committee to hold visiting sessions outside of Moscow. We visited all the military districts, fleets, all federal districts of Russia, drove from Kaliningrad to Sakhalin, from Murmansk to Ingushetia. Our task is to monitor law enforcement practices, laws which are approved by the Federation Council. From each of these trips we bring considerable empirical material that we use in the improvement of the legislation of the Russian Federation, as the arguments and facts while we build dialogues with corresponding ministries, the government of the Russian Federation as a whole, with the presidential administration. We wanted to see in the example of the Republic of Ingushetia how the law on countering terrorism is being implemented. No one doubts the relevance of this law. In the general system of countering terrorism, which is built in our country, starting from the National Terrorism Committee, the federal bodies of executive authority, which is responsible for countering terrorism, anti-terrorist commissions of the subjects of federation also play an important role. All people live in a particular village, district, city, republic, that's where he wants to feel safety for himself and his family. In the history of our homeland we had to pay a high price for terrorist acts in the North Caucasus, where not only militants from different regions fought, including the Baltic states, they were also from other regions ...

- Currently, Islamic State has representatives of more than 50 countries.

- The danger of the terrorist threat to the Russian Federation is very high, particularly light of its proximity to Syria, the Middle East. The pausing of the withdrawal of US troops and other coalition members from Afghanistan does not eliminate the threat of the Taliban.

At the session in Ingushetia we wanted to see how people live, how they are feeling, how the public authorities of the Republic of Ingushetia are working in terms of countering terrorism. It is not the first time I have visited the Caucasus, and I can compare our visiting session with the one that was held in 2008. Then, throughout the republic, we could see representatives of the law enforcement bodies and special services, they were guarding with assault rifles. Now we drove almost across the entire territory, returned through Vladikavkaz to Magas – people feel themselves safe everywhere. This was achieved through the deliberate work of the head of the Republic, the National Assembly, the law enforcement agencies and civil society. Ingushetia adopted a constitutional law, which specified the rights and obligations of the services on countering terrorism. The structure of the presidential security established a special department to combat ideologies of extremism and terrorism. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee has also sent its recommendations to the local government bodies.

In the law on countering terrorism we saw a number of points that must be clarified. For example, today the suspension of the work of Internet sites of a terrorist and extremist nature before a court decision is only granted to the Prosecutor General and his deputy. The Deputy Prosecutor for the North Caucasus, Ivan Sedarukov, participated in our meeting and supported the view that it is also necessary to provide this right to the prosecutors of the federation subjects. If a website has appeals to the militants to gather somewhere and at a certain time, it is possible to lose time while you communicate with the Prosecutor General or his deputy. I think in the near future our Committee will appeal with this initiative to the State Duma.

An interesting experience of Ingushetia is that the cell phone number of Yunus-Bek Yevkurov is known to everyone in the republic. As we traveled along with him, he always received messages, calls, including of an anti-terrorist orientation.

The commission on the adaptation of citizens who were members of armed groups to civilian life, created in the administration of the head of the republic, is also noteworthy. After our departure, a big hideout was found, and the first information that helped to prevent a terrorist attack passed through this commission.

If we sum up the results of the work of the leadership of Ingushetia, the federal executive authorities, which are in the republic, I would describe it in three points – an integrated approach, work by preemptive tactics and individual approaches to implementation of this task.

The main thing that we have learned from this trip is that right now people living in Ingushetia see that we really are a united Russia, we have common problems, we share common joy and sorrow.

- Russian operation in Syria is constantly exposed to criticism of the West. Recently, the United States decided to send a limited contingent of 50 military advisors to Syria. Why are these 50 people needed in Syria for the so-called moderate opposition? What can they bring to the balance of power in Syria? Or can they be regarded as a kind of guarantor of the safety of the opposition, which it is going to consult?

- First of all, these critics themselves cannot stand any criticism in relation to the strikes of our military aviation. We have already said this many times – if we attack the wrong targets, then name the targets which we must attack. They can't name them! We tell them – name the territories where, in your opinion, the moderate opposition and civilians are located, and we will not inflict strikes on them. Again, they can't name them! No one has provided an evidentiary basis to accuse the armed forces or the Russian Federation as a whole. They do not have such information.

As for the Americans, from the legislative point of view, sending 50 soldiers to Syrian territory violates international law. The Americans, inviting Russia to create a single anti-terrorist coalition, will delay this process, just like our colleagues in the anti-Hitler coalition during World War II. The second front will open when everything will be clear.

The Americans are trying to demonstrate their presence not only to the moderate opposition, but also to the Syrian people. But the Americans have always landed where there are oil wells, so that when the war is over, they could announce their presence there. We learned all of this through the history of the Second World War. If they have already captured a bridgehead, then thousands of troops always can land there. That is why we support the demands of the Syrian leadership, that what is happening in Syria must comply with the letter and spirit of international law.

- In early November, Petro Poroshenko signed a decree that foreigners and persons without citizenship may serve in the Ukrainian army. In your opinion, why does Kiev need a foreign legion?

- Russian legislation also envisages the military service of soldiers and sergeants of foreign nationals. We give the opportunity to obtain Russian citizenship on an expedited basis to those who go through such service. We do not perceive persons without citizenship in this part.

It would be possible to ignore the initiative of Poroshenko, if not for that rabble, including from private military companies, that has already participated in some fighting in the south-east of Ukraine. This law can be called a cover operation – so that no one ever accused Poroshenko about the fact that the territory of Ukraine has military units or military groups who report to the former governor Kolomoisky, or to some oligarchs, as allegedly now they are all in a united army.

I'm afraid that the first ones to be drafted into the army by this law are foreign military instructors that will be legalized within the Ukrainian army. I am prepared to admit my mistake, if it will not happen.

- Autumn conscription is under way in Russia. Are there many draft dodgers, and what is the physical condition of young people?

- This fall we should enlist 147,100 people. Taking into account the construction plan of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, by 2020 our Armed Forces should have an overall number of 1.22 million officers, 500 thousand contractors, as well as 280 thousand conscripts. Today there are a little over 300 thousand people on conscription. Reduction of the contingent of conscripts makes it possible not to catch conscripts, but rather select them.

In this sense, the health of soldiers has improved, suitability to perform military service has improved.

As for draft dodgers, it is necessary to work with stick and carrot. It is a constitutional obligation, and those who fulfill it honestly should receive benefits, advantages. On the other hand, we need to make demands, if not by criminal law, then of a moral and political nature, of those who evade military service.

The law that those who have not served in the army without a valid reason have no right to occupy government or municipal posts for five years played a positive role.

We created a flexible system for those who studied in higher education institutions. Now we give them the opportunity to obtain the rank of reserve sergeant or reserve officer while they study. Many of those who graduated from university would like to work in a specialty and not go into the army. We remained without a prepared contingent and called for service up to 27 year-olds.

The set of legislative measures leads to the fact that in the autumn of last year there were around 280 thousand draft dodgers, and in the spring this figure has dropped by a third. I think that this autumn it will be even smaller.

Therefore, it is necessary to change the whole approach to the army. The image, conditions of the organization of combat training, sports competitions – a tank biathlon, aviadarts – attract young people to military service. I think that the day is close when women will not show an interest in young men who did not serve in the army.

- A year ago the first conscription of young Chechen people into the ranks of the Armed Forces was held after a long break. What are the results of the Chechen recruits?

- We do not have statistical data on how the citizens of different nationalities are serving. The attitude towards the army is formed by all the guys – Russians, Chechens, Ukrainians – who live here in Russia and are citizens of the Russian Federation. And what have you heard, are there some problems with them?

- No.

- I also have not heard any! So these guys are also serving, just like other citizens of the Russian Federation. Should we pay so much attention to this issue? You can even ask from whence the soldier came, and who he is by nationality – Chechen, Nanai, Evenk, or Russian, who cares. I, as the chairman of the committee, visit all (and closed, too) meetings, and sessions at the Ministry of Defence. Not even once, I can assure you, during this year was there a question about the fact that the guys from the Chechen Republic brought some discomfort to the well-oiled rhythm of life and combat training of our armed forces, which was there two years ago.

To be continued