Police officers in Russia will have to start taking lie-detector tests from now on as part of a corruption-fighting drive initiated by the Interior Ministry, a news report said Thursday.
Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev has ordered that all police officers, drug police and employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service will now need to take polygraphs before getting hired or promoted, Izvestia reported.
Exams to test candidates' inclination toward drug use will also be introduced, the newspaper said.
The tests are aimed at evaluating aspiring policemen's personalities, improving staff quality and fighting corruption.
Polygraph tests are commonly used for screening government employees worldwide, but their reliability is widely disputed.
The U.S. National Academy of Sciences published a report in 2003 that concluded that the majority of polygraph research was unscientific and biased.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
