Putin Expands Police Authority to Freeze Bank Accounts Without Judicial Oversight

President Vladimir Putin has enacted a new law that grants law enforcement agencies extensive authority to freeze individuals’ bank accounts without needing a court order. This move is part of a government initiative aimed at tackling cybercrime and financial fraud.

The legislation, which was approved by the lower house State Duma on July 22 and by the upper house Federation Council on July 25, enables officers from the Interior Ministry to halt banking transactions for private citizens for a maximum of 10 days, based merely on suspicions of criminal behavior.

In «urgent situations,» this freeze can be enacted with consent from both the head of the relevant investigative agency and a supervising prosecutor. Authorities are obliged to submit a formal motion to a court within the 10-day period.

Previously, non-judicial freezes were restricted to criminal cases involving property confiscation. The revised regulations allow the police to take preventive action in any scenario where they suspect that funds are connected to a criminal act.

Additionally, the law imposes new requirements on financial institutions.

Banks and money transfer companies must provide law enforcement with complete information regarding a citizen’s accounts and transactions within three days of a request, or within 24 hours if the request is made electronically.

Supporters of the bill argued that the adjustments are necessary to close gaps in the existing legal structure, which they claim hampers law enforcement’s ability to recover stolen assets or assist crime victims.

Officials maintain that the legislation will not violate the rights of law-abiding citizens, as prosecutors must be informed of all account freezes.

Nonetheless, legal experts have expressed concerns over the law’s broad scope and lack of clarity.

Yuliy Tai, a senior partner at the Bartolius law firm, told the Vedomosti business daily that the new law does not specify which offenses warrant account freezes and lacks essential procedural protections.

For instance, he pointed out that it is unclear whether the amount frozen must be proportional to the alleged harm.

Ruslan Zafesov, managing partner at ZE Lawgic Legal Solutions, cautioned that the expanded powers could lead to arbitrary or unwarranted asset seizures.

He observed that even under the current legal framework, property owned by third parties is sometimes confiscated in economic crime investigations without adequate evidence of illicit origins.

While the law is officially designed to enhance measures against cyber-related financial crimes, critics fear it might be applied more broadly to target dissenters, journalists, or activists, especially in a climate where financial pressure is increasingly utilized for state control.

The new legislation is anticipated to come into effect later this year.