ABSTRACT
The Committee of State Security's (KGB) interactions with society and the ways in which it performs its domestic role are strongly influenced by political events in the Kremlin. The KGB’s internal security functions, which are exercised primarily through its Second and Fifth Chief Directorates, extend far beyond uncovering and investigating state crimes. Changes in the republic codes of criminal procedure from 1961 to the present have extended the purview of the KGB’s investigatory apparatus, while revisions in the criminal codes have broadened definitions of political crimes, making it easier to prosecute Soviet citizens on criminal charges. Although the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), which supervises the regular police, and Procuracy are compelled to carry through with such arrests on KGB instructions, there is some evidence of discontent about this situation, particularly on the part of the MVD. In general the KGB prefers to avoid publicity and operate behind the scenes, but these cases are sometimes exploited by the KGB for propaganda purposes.
