News

Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Alexander Ivanovich Bastrykin held a video conference meeting on interacting with the public using electronic communication channels. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia S.N. Goryainov, Acting Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia – Head of the Main Military Investigation Department K.E. Korpusov, heads and employees of central office departments and regional investigative bodies, as well as higher education institutions of the department.

The head of the Investigative Committee of Russia emphasized that from the early days of the Committee's operation, the focus was on openness to the public, transparency, and effective response to incoming inquiries. He noted that one of the steps in this direction was the opening of a new department in the central office – the Information Center, whose main task is to ensure high-quality communication with citizens.

During the meeting, A.I. Bastrykin highlighted the importance of establishing a constructive dialogue with people on social networks and via telephone. He noted that citizens often appeal directly to the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia when they do not find support at the regional level. Most frequently, these are residents of Krasnodar Krai, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Leningrad, Moscow regions, and the city of Moscow. "Investigative agencies often respond to citizens' messages only after my direct instructions," said the head of the department. Addressing the participants of the meeting, he emphasized: "We must be aware that in an era of total digitalization and transparency, the activities of law enforcement and government agencies are constantly under the close scrutiny by the public. Citizens demand accountability for the measures taken to restore justice." A.I. Bastrykin added that the activities of state bodies should be focused on realizing the rights and legitimate interests of citizens, including by appealing the actions and inactions of officials.

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia positively assessed the activities of the investigative departments of the Zaporozhski and Ivanovo regions, Altai and Transbaikal Krai, the Main Investigation Department of Krasnoyarsk Krai and the Republic of Khakassia, as well as the investigation department of the Republic of Tatarstan, which proactively took active measures to restore citizens' rights and inform the public about the results of their work. Among the resolved socially significant issues were relocating citizens from dilapidated houses to comfortable apartments, providing rehabilitation means for disabled persons, supplying children with vital medications, restoring orphans’ housing rights, and more.

At the same time, the activities of several investigation departments in certain areas of interaction with citizens received criticism. The Chairman listened to reports from the heads of the Investigative Committee departments of the Nizhny Novgorod region A.S. Akhmetshin, Novosibirsk region E.G. Dolgalev, the Republic of Mari El A.V. Rychkov, Volgograd region V.I. Semenov, the Main Investigation Department of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol V.N. Terentyev, the Rostov region A.G. Khuday, and the Acting Head of the Main Investigation Department of the Moscow region Ya.A. Yakovlev. The speakers reported on organizational measures focused on enhancing public trust and effectiveness in restoring violated citizens' rights. After listening to the reports, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia gave several instructions, putting their execution under the control of the central office of the department.

In the final part of the meeting, A.I. Bastrykin demanded to eliminate formalism and indifference in interactions with the public, as well as in the assessment of social problems identified during monitoring, both on a regional scale and for each specific individual in a difficult situation. "In reviewing incoming appeals and requests, broader use of criminal procedural response measures is needed," he added.

The event continued with a training and methodological seminar aimed at familiarizing department employees with current developments and practical experiences in electronic interaction with citizens.