Russia’s lower house of parliament has given a third reading to the amnesty bill, which means jailed members of Pussy Riot punk band may be freed before the New Year and charges against arrested Greenpeace activists are also to be dropped.
State Duma deputies on Wednesday unanimously supported the amnesty legislation submitted by President Vladimir Putin earlier this month to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the country’s Constitution. The legislation could come into force as early as this week, after it is officially published.
The passage of this bill means that Pussy Riot’s Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina could be released by the end of the year, along with 30 members of Greenpeace who were arrested last September after protesting against an oil rig in the Barents Sea. The Greenpeace activists are currently on bail, but were required to remain in Russia until their trials. They are now expected to be able to return home by New Year’s Eve as well.
This new legislation means that about 25,000 people in total would be eligible for release or could be exempted from future criminal liability from pending actions.
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