Countering corruption is one of the priorities of the public policy and a most important part of work of the Russian Prosecution Service.

In Russia, the Prosecution Service is the principal authority for the enforcement and control over the implementation of anti-corruption legislation and ensuring strict compliance with it.

The Prosecution Service of the Russian Federation is a single federal centralized system of bodies exercising, on behalf of the Russian Federation, supervision over compliance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and enforcement of laws within its territory.

The prosecution bodies of the Russian Federation carry out anti-corruption activities in pursuance of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Federal Law No. 2202-I dated January 17, 1992 “On the Prosecution Service of the Russian Federation”, Federal Law No. 273-FZ dated December 25, 2008 “On combating corruption”, other federal laws and the National Anti-Corruption Plan approved by the President of the Russian Federation.

In conformity with Article 36 of the UN Convention against Corruption, specialized units for supervision over implementation of the anti-corruption legislation (special anti-corruption units or SACU) were established in 2007 within the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation and prosecutor’s offices at the level of constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

In order to guarantee their independence and autonomy of such units, a special procedure for appointment and dismissal, as well as a special procedure of bringing to disciplinary responsibility was established for their employees.

The appointments to the office are made after careful consideration within the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation of a candidate, who is to have at least five years of work experience in the prosecution service, to possess requisite professional expertise and to have an impeccable reputation. The candidates are selected by the special commission.

The SACU employees, both at regional and federal levels, shall be appointed by the decree of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation and may be brought to disciplinary liability only with the consent of his First Deputy.

Organizational and methodological management of SACU activity in the regions is implemented by the Department for Supervision over Implementation of Anti-Corruption Legislation of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Department), whereas the operational management of employees of such units is carried out personally by the prosecutors of constituent entities of the Russian Federation and military prosecutors and prosecutors of other specialized units equated with them.

The Department is composed of senior prosecutors located in the country’s federal districts who carry out supervisory powers in relation to the public bodies at regional and interregional levels.

Thus, the system of prosecution bodies of the Russian Federation has an independent vertical structure designed to ensure an integrated approach to combating corruption and sustainable to possible external pressure on the part of the representatives of any branches of power. The guarantees of independence established for the employees of the SACU enable them to efficiently exercise their control functions over any authority regardless of its level.