Putin Approves Law Giving FSB Control Over Scientific Institutions

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting the Federal Security Service (FSB) the authority to oversee the interactions between Russian scientific organizations and foreign entities, Kommersant reports.

The new regulation amends the Federal Law “On Science and State Scientific and Technical Policy.” It was drafted by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in February and approved by the State Duma in June.

According to the explanatory note accompanying the bill, the FSB's involvement will help monitor the transfer of research results abroad. Lawmakers argue that this oversight will not infringe upon “the freedom of scientific creativity.”

The law stipulates that the FSB will monitor cooperation between Russian scientists and both individuals and organizations based outside of Russia.

In recent years, there has been a sharp rise in criminal cases against scientists in Russia. Researchers are increasingly prosecuted under charges of treason or revealing state secrets—often for participating in international conferences or publishing their work abroad.