MOSCOW, July 15 (RAPSI) — Russia's Justice Ministry has introduced legislation prohibiting foreign citizens as well as lawyers and civil servants from becoming members of public monitoring commissions that monitor detainees' rights.

The bill establishes that commissions’ members cannot be persons who have citizenship of a foreign state or a residence permit or other document confirming the right to permanent residence of a citizen of the Russian Federation on the territory of a foreign state. Also, members of the commissions cannot be lawyers, persons holding government positions in the Russian Federation, positions of the federal public service, deputies of representative bodies of municipalities, officials of local self-governments, elected officials of local self-government, the Ministry says in the statement.

The document also changes the requirement for non-profit organizations that have the right to nominate candidates for such commissions, by reducing the period for carrying out human rights activities by such NGOs from 5 to 3 years.

Moreover, the bill contains provisions establishing independence of commissions from state authorities, local self-government bodies, state and municipal organizations, as well as the inadmissibility of interference in their activities on the part of political parties, as well as international and foreign organizations.

The proposed amendments are to be made to the federal law on public control over observing of human rights in places of detention and on assistance to detainees.