Putin supports proposal to declare amnesty in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday the proposal about the amnesty in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Russian Constitution should be given a green light. "We are going to improve this document together with federal lawmakers, and I ask you to actively engage in this process," Putin told head of the Human Rights Council Mikhail Fedotov. After studying Fedotov's proposal about the amnesty, Putin said he agreed with the document "in general." Fedotov's draft document suggested releasing of up to 100,000 inmates, including illegal immigrants. Putin will submit the draft to the parliament's lower house State Duma "soon," said his spokesman Dmitry Peskov. According to head of the Duma's Legislative Committee Pavel Krasheninnikov, the parliamentarians have already received eleven different editions of the amnesty bill, so Putin's one would be the 12th. Russia will celebrate the Constitution Day on Dec. 12. In accordance with the Article 103 of the Russian Constitution, the State Duma has the exclusive right to declare amnesty.