MOSCOW, February 26 (RIA Novosti) - The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, passed a counter-terrorism bill in the final third reading Sunday.
The bill adopted by 423 against one, with eight abstentions, provides a regulatory framework for measures to deal with terrorism and its aftermath, and empowers Russian secret services to tap telephone conversations and control electronic communications in areas where counter-terrorism operations are carried out.
It also entitles air defense forces to shoot down hijacked planes to prevent attacks on strategic facilities or public places.
Now the bill will move on to the upper house.
