MOSCOW, February 8 (RAPSI) – Russian Ministry of Labor has proposed to change the Federal Law on Countering Corruption by adding a new article on protection of whistleblowers, who provided information regarding corruption.

The bill was published on the website for legal acts on Wednesday.

According to the bill, a person with knowledge of a corruption offense is to inform a representative of the employer, prosecutors or law enforcement agencies with those being obliged to take measures regarding reported offenses in accordance with the legal procedure. A person, who is reporting a crime offense or is taking other measures to counter corruption is to be put under protection of the state, the draft law reads.

In particular, authors of the bill, among other measures, propose to provide whistleblowers with the confidentiality of the information contained in the report and an option to obtain free legal aid. The bill also suggests protection against unlawful dismissal and being subjected to disciplinary liability for a person who reported the corruption offenses in line of the execution of official duties.