MOSCOW, May 29 (RAPSI) – The State Duma adopted a bill on general principles of the organization of human rights commissioners’ activity in Russian regions in the first reading on Wednesday, a RAPSI correspondent reports from the lower house of parliament.

According to the High Commissioner for Human Rights Tatiana Moskalkova, the draft law is aimed to ensure Russian citizens with a single efficient system of protection mechanisms which would result in the social tension ease.

Ombudsmen are working in all 85 entities of Russia. They received over 180,000 applications last year; infringed rights of over 300 people were restored, Moskalova noted. This bill has a lot of new provisions that will surely strengthen guarantees of citizens’’ rights, she added.

Under the legislative initiative, ombudsmen would be authorized to visit federal bodies of executive power basing on departmental normative legal acts.

The bill also envisages social guarantees for human rights commissioners. Moreover, all ombudsmen would have a detailed procedural and institutional status as the institution of human rights commissioners is a personalized government body, according to Moskalkova.

The draft law has been backed by the State Duma committee for the federal system and community affairs and legislative bodies in 45 regions.