Senate adopts law on amnesty for some January riots participants

According to senator Vladimir Volkov, the law is adopted in pursuance of the Presidential instruction given in his latest Address to the Nation. As is known, the Head of State announced one-time amnesty for the participants of January unrest, based on the ideas of humanism and as a good will gesture. «Many of the law violators have realized their guilt and repent of their deeds. And they deserve a second chance,» the President said in his Address.

The bill is aimed at releasing from serving a sentence by persons who fell under the influence of provocateurs and committed criminal acts in the conditions of riots in the period from January January 4 to 7, 2022.

The amnesty also applies to law enforcement officers and the militaries who have committed criminal offenses in suppression of illegal acts by citizens during the January events.

As per the bill, it is proposed to drop legal cases against riots participants who have committed criminal offenses, crimes of minor and medium gravity, to waive punishment for those convicted of them, and to expunge conviction from those who have already served their sentences.

The bill prescribes to reduce court sentences by three-fourth for the persons who have committed grave crimes, and by half for the persons for extremely grievous crimes.

Persons who have committed terrorist, extremist, corruption crimes, high treason, and organized mass riots, except where this case is committed by a minor, are not subject to amnesty. Besides, persons who committed crimes against sexual inviolability of minors will not be pardoned.

According to preliminary calculations, about 1.5 thousand people are subject to the amnesty.