MOSCOW, December 28 – RAPSI. The number of state protected witnesses in Russia is expected grow at least twice in the coming years, while the budget for ensuring their safety will drop by almost 200 million rubles ($6.56 million), Izvestia daily reported on Friday.

The federal witness protection law has been in force for eight years, financing is carried out under five-year programs.

The Interior Ministry has recently submitted to the federal government the draft of a five-year witness protection program for 2014-2018. Despite the increasing number of applications for witness protection, only 1.4 billion rubles ($45.9 million) have been allocated for the new program, while 1.6 billion ($52.4) were allocated for 2009-2013.

All law enforcement authorities have been involved in protecting witnesses , including the police, the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Defense Ministry, the Federal Drug Control Service (FSKN), the Customs Service and the Federal Penitentiary Service.