All 34 Moscow district courts and three administrative buildings of the Supreme Court are currently being guarded by Cossacks from the private security company Kazachya Strazha (“Cossack Guards”), the RBC news agency reported Monday, citing the company's director Sergei Fomenko.
The Cossack guards work 24-hour shifts and must contact the police if they require assistance, the report said. They are not responsible for maintaining public order in the buildings or for searching visitors — these duties are fulfilled by court officers.
The guards monitor security camera footage during the day and after 6 p.m. they man the watchposts at the entrances to court buildings.
The Kazachya Strazha security agency began guarding Moscow courts in 2015 — and was first assigned 10 court buildings. In late December the contract with the agency was extended to 2016, Fomenko told RBC, and expanded to include other buildings.
