News Release
21.01.2010
MW. Our today's visitor is the Minister of Interior General of the Army Rashid Nurgaliev. How do you do, Rashid Gumarovich.
Minister. Hello, dear radio listeners. Happy New Year 2010!
MW. Best wishes to you as well, Rashid Gumarovich, on the New year. Anyway, the holidays are over and it is high time for some serious work. I could tell you that all these days the editorial office continued receiving letters from listeners where they not only ask questions, but also send complaints, send petitions. People hope for your help and support in the solution of their specific problems.
Minister. indeed, many citizens send petitions in which they ask to protect their rights. They enclose documents proving their arguments. For instance we may look at the letter from Kazan pensioner of the Ministry of Interior Mr. Larionov who after 23 years devoted to the service in militia cannot successfully insist his housing issue be solved. Or the message from Ms. Smirnova from Ryazan who complains of abuse on the part of militia employees. These petitions have documentary proofs enclosed within them. These petitions are now being studied and we will inform the applicants as soon as the investigation is over.
MW. I would not speak for all our listeners, but it seems to me that it is your attitude to the work with citizens' appeals which proves the transparency of the Ministry's policy as a whole and the role of each individual person in the country's life...
Minister. Certainly. Our priority is to ensure the safety of rights and freedoms of citizens using the most democratic and humane ways. Who is there to defend the country? Who protects the law and order? Militia employees do. They represent the government as they guard the law. They should be the first who react to appeals of citizens and take efficient measures as quickly as possible. Otherwise it won't do. We also actively co-operate with human rights organizations which ensures timely reaction to some "disturbing signals". It shall be noticed that in some cases, only joint efforts can yield a solution to some issue.
MW. Rashid Gumarovich, which human rights organizations does the Ministry of Interior approach for cooperation today?
Minister. Today, the Ministry co-operates with the RF President's Council for promotion of the development of the civil society and human rights in our country, the public supervising committee, the movements "Free will", "Resistance". In all subjects of the country Public councils work at law enforcement bodies whose structure comprises representatives of public and human rights organizations, traditional faiths as well as outstanding figures of the culture, art, and business.
Since 2004, the Ministry of Interior of Russia has been actively co-operating with the coordination council of Ombudsmen in our country. A corresponding memorandum is signed. During our sessions we discuss issues concerning the maintenance of constitutional laws and freedoms of citizens, the organization of efficient protection against criminal infringements on the life, health, and property interests of the people, the society and the state as a whole.
It shall be noticed that units of law enforcement bodies assist Ombudsmen in their turn in terms of checking their complaints and appeals. We arrange joint meetings, briefings, press conferences and round table sessions regularly, which is a normal mode of our work.
MW. You mentioned that religious figures co-operate with the Ministry of Interior actively today. Could you be somewhat more precise on that?
Minister. Yes, we conduct intensive activity in this respect. In particular, this concerns the moral and intellectual education of citizens. Certainly, for us it is very important that our country is an Euroasian power, and the tolerance problem is always in focus. For example, a cooperation agreement with Russian Orthodox Church was concluded and has been implemented for several years already for these purposes.
This cooperation provides joint actions aimed at the moral and intellectual education of employees of law enforcement bodies, prevention of criminality among minors, participation in other socially significant campaigns which we perform within this teamwork.
We also co-operate with representatives of the spiritual managements of Moslems, with representatives of the Jewish regional communities of Russia. Today, this creates a strong preventive foundation for our youth, and we hope that it will become still stronger.
We see that the spiritual, moral and patriotic education is what the Spiritual management of Moslems, representatives of the Jewish regional communities, and certainly the Russian Orthodox Church are engaged in.
MW. Rashid Gumarovich, we have been hitherto speaking about public associations, human rights organizations, about representatives of religions... So and what citizens? Are there people who help militia, those voluntary patrolmen who were as recently as 20 years ago?
Minister. Yes, of course, we continue such practice today. Citizens wishing to co-operate with law enforcement bodies for the purpose of law and order protection can join such given voluntary associations.
To ensure better and lawful organization of work of civil institutes in terms of maintenance of public safety we have prepared and submitted to the State Duma a bill "About participation of citizens in the public order maintenance". The essence of the new document is the legalization of public law enforcement associations. In other words we offer an official status to those people who patrol today streets together with police squads on a voluntary basis today.
MW. But having voluntary patrolmen is not a cure-all. Much depends on each of us all the same...
Minister. Certainly, and in future it is planned to develop a comprehensive program of joint actions primarily for strengthening the public safety, which would ensure more productive interaction of law enforcement bodies and the society. It shall be noticed that participation of the public in the law enforcement activity helps increase the safety in streets. Uniting our efforts we managed to secure the already established crime rate decrease trend and to increase the number of detected crimes. I thank our citizens for their support!
MW. So, everyone can make a proper contribution to the public order in our streets, the main thing is to understand it... Thank you, Rashid Gumarovich, for this conversation and see you next week.
Minister. Have a nice day. See you again.
Program "Conversation with the Minister" on the radio station "Militia wave",
mvd.ru