Alexander Bastrykin is appointed head of the Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation

Alexander Bastrykin is appointed head of the Investigation Committee
of the Russian Federation.

President Dmitry Medvedev issued an edict today appointing Alexandr
Bastrykin as head of the Investigation Committee, RIA Novosti reports,
referring to the Kremlin press-service.

Up until now Bastrykin used to be a chairman of the Investigation
Committee at the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation. In
late September the president introduced a bill to the Duma, creating
an independent Investigation Committee on the basis of the
Prosecutor’s Office. It was announced earlier that the united
Investigation Committee will be an independent body under the
supervision of the Prosecutor-General’s Office. The Investigation
Committees of the Interior Ministry, the Federal Drug Control Service
and the FSB will not be subjected to it.

It is still not clear whether the independent Investigation Committee
will become the only power of the investigation authorities or whether
part of the existing investigative body will retain its functions.