President Putin submits draft resolution on Chechnya amnesty to Duma

President Vladimir Putin has submitted a draft resolution declaring amnesty in Chechnya following the adoption of the republican Constitution for consideration of the Russian State Duma, parliament's lower house.

As RIA Novosti knows from the presidential press office, the president's letter to the Duma speaker reads that amnesty should be granted to those, who perpetrated "socially dangerous acts" in the former Chechen-Ingush Soviet Republic from August 1, 1993 till the day the resolution on amnesty in Chechnya entered into force. To be pardoned are those, who abandoned militant groupings and gave up armed resistance or voluntarily laid down arms and military equipment till 12 midnight of August 1, 2003.

The persons, who committed murders, kidnappings, rapes, robberies or other grave crimes are not subject to amnesty. Foreign residents, persons without citizenship and hard-core criminals are not to be granted amnesty either, says the letter.