(Moscow, February 23) - As the 4th cannel of Russian TV informed today, President of Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin has signed yesterday a number of decrees concerning armed forces. Among them - decree about right of conscientious objection and fulfilling the alternative civilian service. No other TV channel reported about such decree.

If the information given by TV-4 is true, it means that Mr. Yeltsin with a stroke of the pen gave to Russian citizens one of the basic civil rights, which was absent in the country till now.

Draft law on alternative civilian service having many serious shortcomings, is already almost two years in the Supreme Soviet of Russia without any movement. There is another draft law, the more democratic one, which was prepared with participation of Alexander Kalinin, member of Federal Council of the Radical Party.