Vladimir Putin approves proposal to pardon mother-inmates

Vladimir Putin has approved a proposal made by his advisor Anatoly Pristavkin and head of the presidential pardoning department Robert Tsivilev to grant pardons to imprisoned mothers, regardless of their crime and sentence.

RIA Novosti learnt on Thursday that the pardoning department, having secured the president's consent, will examine each candidate for clemency within the order established by the presidential decree "On commission in pardoning questions on the territories of Russian Federation subjects," dated December 28th 2001.

The State Duma (lower chamber of parliament) had previously adopted a resolution amnestying minors and women. Almost ten thousand minors and 14,000 women are affected by this resolution.

However, the amnesty does not include women convicted of committing serious offences or serial offenders, including incarcerated mothers, the department pointed out.

According to the Ministry of Justice, 493 children under the age of three were registered in Russia's penal colonies in November 2001. They are all in prison through no guilt of their own. According to current procedures, children are taken to orphanages once they turn three, consequently losing contact with their mothers.