Russia okay electronic monitoring of people under house arrest

Moscow, Feb 21 (Itar-Tass) The Russian government has approved electronic monitoring of the persons under house arrest by allowing use of electronic bracelet for tracking the whereabouts of suspects.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed the resolution on using "audio-visual, electronic and other technical means" to monitor the location of the suspect or defendant under house arrest, the government press service reported.
The list of technical means and the procedure of their use is determined by the Russian government.
Specifically, law-enforcement agencies will use an electronic bracelet for remote identification of the suspect or defendant and tracking his or her whereabouts, intended for long-term wear /over three months/, with a built-in control system to log unsanctioned opening or tapping into the device.

A fixed control unit will secure "uninterrupted round-the-clock reception and identification of signals from the electronic bracelet.
" It will warn about the attempts to remove or damage the bracelet.

The GLONASS/GPS satellite navigation system is part of the monitoring equipment.
Personal trackers to be used on suspects are intended for wearing on the body for a period of less than three months.
Russia launched the so-called electronic handcuffs experiment in the Voronezh region in 2009.
Initially, it was tested on the persons convicted to restriction of freedom.
Tracking is of two types: the bracelet is monitored within 150 meters of the receiver installed in the persons' home or through the GSM system that can track all movements, but in the second case, mobile systems are overwhelmingly used.

The Federal Penitentiary Service said launching electronic monitoring decides encouraged judges to pass more resolution on restriction of freedom as an alternative to imprisonment.
The Service intends to purchase another batch of several thousand such units.