Commissioner for Human Rights (Russia)

Commissioner for Human Rights
Уполномоченный по правам человека
since 22 April 2016
NominatorPresident of Russia
AppointerState Duma
Term lengthFive years
Formation17 January 1994
First holderSergei Kovalyov
Unofficial namesOmbudsman
(Russian: омбудсмен)
Websiteombudsmanrf.org

Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation[1] is an official appointed by the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, to consider complaints of Russian and foreign citizens and stateless persons on Russia's territory of against decisions or actions of state bodies and officials.

This institution was introduced for the first time in Russian practice by the 1993 Constitution, which establishes that the Commissioner for Human Rights is appointed by the State Duma and acts in accordance with federal constitutional law. The authorized person in the exercise of his powers is independent and not accountable to any government agencies and officials. An institution of this type that exists in different countries is collectively called ombudsman, although the official titles of the position are different in different countries.

  1. ^ Russian: Уполномоченный по правам человека в Российской Федерации, Upolnomochennyi po pravam cheloveka v Rossiyskoi Federatsii