Ordinary citizens have the right to defend...

Rashid Nurgaliyev was speaking at a meeting with students in the Moscow Region just days after police officers in both the capital and St. Petersburg were detained on suspicion of beating innocent people to death.

"If the citizen is not a criminal who is being detained and has not broken any laws...if he is being attacked, self-defense is applicable here," the minster said in response to a question on rising police crime.

Nurgaliyev, who recently reminded police chiefs that their officers should use their weapons against criminals and not innocent citizens, said rogue police were "criminals in uniform, who need to be isolated and jailed."

Russian lawyers and rights activists warned against following the minister"s advice, pointing out that the country"s Criminal Code stipulates harsh penalties for attacks on police officers.

Lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said a police officer"s word would always be believed, and that "criminals in uniform" could simply say

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