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Moscow

Snooping in the mail: Russian police and security services were given the right this week to open anyone’s mail without a court order. The Kremlin announced that agents of the Interior Ministry, the Federal Security Service, the Federal Bodyguard Service, the Foreign Intelligence Service, Customs, and the Penal Service now all have the authority to open letters and inspect packages. In announcing the new policy, the Ministry of Communications did not address any legal or privacy issues. Under the Russian Constitution, postal inspections require a court order, and human-rights activists say they plan to sue to overturn the policy. “This is a flagrant violation of human rights,” said lawyer Anatoly Kucherena.

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