FBR representatives to be summoned to Russia in connection with criminal investigation

The Federal Security Service /FSB/ department in the Chelyabinsk region intends to summon representatives of the US FBI to Russia in connection with the investigation of the unauthorized penetration in Russian computer networks, as RIA Novosti learned at the FSB public relations centre on Friday.

The corresponding request will be sent via the Russian Prosecutor General's office to the US Department of Justice in compliance with international legislation, the interlocutor explained.

The FSB Chelyabinsk department initiated proceedings for unauthorized access to computer information in Russia on the part of the American security service, suspecting FBI agent Michael Schuler.

The subject of the case was the method by which the FBI had obtained evidence of guilt of Russian program writers from Chelyabinsk, Vasily Gorshkov and Alexei Ivanov.

The US justice accuses them of cracking computer systems of US banks. Americans, in their turn, have obtained evidence by cracking the fire wall and breaking in Ivanov's computer, which was located in Russia.

Bringing a suit against the FBI, the Russian security service was acting to protect the national security of Russia, the FSS department explained to RIA Novosti. The Chelyabinsk region alone has dozens of defense enterprises and objects of highest strategic importance. If the American party legalizes the suchlike proof system, it will mean that the US special services will continue to use similar methods for obtaining information, both in Russia and other countries. Then nobody can guarantee that they will not crack state computers together with private ones, the department stressed.