JURIST - Paper Chase: Russian pilots protest bill to allow downing of hijacked planes

[JURIST Europe] Russian civil aviation pilots have drafted an address to President Vladimir Putin expressing concern over a provision in a new anti-terrorism bill allowing for the shooting-down of hijacked planes. The bill was passed last month [JURIST report] by the Russian Duma and approved earlier this week by the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament. The pilots fear such a policy will reduce flight safety as pilots' "physiological and emotional state" would be drastically impaired, and hope to meet with Putin to discuss the matter. Last month the German Federal Constitutional Court [official website in German] overturned a similar German law [JURIST report], asserting that it infringed on the right to life and human dignity.

The Russian anti-terror bill in its present form would also allow the Russian secret services to tap telephone conversations and use preemptive force to remove suspected terrorists from Russia. MosNews has local coverage.

Angela Onikepe is an Associate Editor for JURIST Europe, reporting European legal news from a European perspective. She is based in the UK.

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