Liberals Give Police Tips on Reforming
Opposition politicians and human rights activists have argued that President Dmitry Medvedev's police reforms will turn into a sham if the public is excluded from the process and other law enforcement agencies are left untouched.
Yabloko party leader Sergei Mitrokhin said: "It is impossible to reform the Interior Ministry without reforming the prosecutor's office and the justice system."
Medvedev ordered Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev this week to draft proposals on the reforms. Several activists argued that police officers must learn how to serve the public rather than the state.
Despite their doubts about the effectiveness of planned police reforms, activists said many police officers would welcome working under honest commanders who did not require them to carry out illegal orders.