MOSCOW. Aug 19 (Interfax) - The State Duma Council held a special session on Monday to set up a State Duma commission to probe meddling in Russia's internal affairs.
The commission was set up at the proposal of all parliamentary parties.
State Duma Security and Anti-Corruption Committee head Vasily Piskaryov will lead the commission, a source that attended the State Duma Council meeting told Interfax.
The State Duma press service earlier told reporters that Piskaryov had written letters asking the Russian Interior Ministry, law enforcement agencies, and the telecoms regulator Roskomnadzor to provide any information they have on instances of foreign governments' (and their entities') meddling in Russian internal affairs.
Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov told reporters after the State Duma Council meeting on Monday that the commission would be composed of 12 MPs.
First deputy head of the Communist Party and State Duma First Vice-Speaker Ivan Melnikov said that Piskaryov will have four deputies, each representing a parliamentary party. His deputies will include Yury Sinelshchikov (Communist Party), Nikolai Ryzhak (A Just Russia), Vadim Dengin (Liberal Democrats), and Andrei Alshevskikh (United Russia).
"The commission will begin working this week," Melnikov added.