At the St. Petersburg Legal Forum, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Alexander Bastrykin, was asked about a possible ban on niqabs and other religious clothing that covers the face. In response, he said that such clothing should be banned, and recommended that the question be redirected to the State Duma.

“It is the task of the State Duma to pass a law prohibiting what you are talking about. There, in countries with a predominantly Muslim population, this is prohibited, but here it is allowed. Why? I don't know, but I'm not a legislator either. I agree with you, we urgently need to ban all this,” Bastrykin said.

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee also called for a look at what was happening around him: in Dagestan, in the Rostov prison, terrorist attacks were carried out by Islamists, and therefore, in his opinion, the State Duma needs to quickly respond to these phenomena.

“If we bring people here, I think it’s not necessary, we must regulate their behavior, including through the adoption of new laws. The adoption of laws must be quick and efficient,” Bastrykin said.

Bastrykin also proposed lifting the moratorium on the death penalty in Russia, citing the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall on March 22, 2024, which killed 145 people.

According to him, criminals live too well: the state spends about 300 thousand rubles a year to support one person.

“Three meals a day, two-hour walks. A medical examination, including a dentist, to see if his teeth hurt. I can’t afford to take a walk for two hours, I don’t have time for that,” complained the head of the Russian Investigative Committee.