admin“As of now, 13 people have been released under the amnesty,” Titov told reporters.
Eight people were released from the pretrial detention and five from prisons, he added.
On July 3, State Duma, or lower house of the Russian parliament, announced the amnesty which would apply to several thousand of “white-collar” offenders.
Russian legislation grants a right to hold an amnesty to the State Duma. It does not need the approval of the upper house, Federation Council, or the president’s consent.
According to the business ombudsman’s website, all the prisoners under amnesty must be set free within six months from the day the measure took effect.
Titov said there were over 13,000 people sentenced to jail for various economic crimes. But only those who committed crime for the first time would be pardoned. The number could reach 3,000, according to official estimates published on Titov’s website.
Those who are freed must first pay financial compensation, Titov said.
He added that high-profile prisoners like Mikhail Khodorkovsky or Alexei Navalny have not been affected by the amnesty.
The measure was announced by President Vladimir Putin during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum last month.- Xinhua
Online Reporter