Chechen police no longer provides passports to people under 30 without their family present

The Interior Ministry in Russia’s Chechen Republic states people under the age of 30 need to receive their passports for foreign travels with their parents or other older relatives present. The explanation was provided to Alexander Nemov, a lawyer, and published by NC SOS.

The new restrictions were explained by “a ruling made by the Anti-Terrorist Committee” of the local regional council, issued in 2015.

“It was decided that young people under the age of 30 will only receive their passports in the presence of their parents or other close relatives and upon their consent, and they will be required to prove that the purposes of their travel do not violate Russia’s interests,” the statement reads.

In February, a young woman who uses NC SOS’s assistance was denied a passport; this also happened to her before.

Alexander Nemov says that the explanation is legally invalid. This decision violates the constitutional right to free travel, while the mentioned ruling is not a legal regulation and violates the existing laws.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill on amendments into the Federal Law “On the order of entering and exiting the Russian Federation” earlier.

The new regulation requires all citizens conscripted for military service or alternative civilian service to yield their passports to be stored in passport-issuing state bodies within five days after receiving a draft notice.