Russia’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday passed in its first reading of a bill that would grant former presidents immunity once they leave office.
The legislation, published on the State Duma’s Web site, is among constitutional amendments that were approved this summer in a nationwide vote and would allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to again run for office when his fourth term ends in 2024.
If passed, the bill grants former presidents and their families immunity from prosecution for crimes committed during their lifetime.
Photo: AFP
They would also be exempt from searches, arrests or questioning. Currently, former presidents are only immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office.
The State Duma approved the bill in the first of three readings. To be passed into law the bill would need approval from the upper house — the Federation Council — and Putin’s signature.
Under the bill, a former president could be stripped of immunity if accused of treason or other grave crimes, and the charges are confirmed by the supreme and constitutional courts.
Then both chambers of parliament must support the motion by a two-thirds majority.
Russian lawmaker Pavel Krasheninnikov, one of the bill’s authors, told state news agency RIA Novosti that the new legislation would not apply to Mikhail Gorbachev, who was president of the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991.
As Putin is still in office, former Russian president and prime minister Dmitry Medvedev — who was head of state between 2008 and 2012 — is Russia’s only living former president.
The State Duma also passed in its first reading another bill that would grant ex-presidents a lifetime seat in the Federation Council, a position that also provides immunity from prosecution.
The bills have sparked rumors that Putin, 68, is planning to step down, but the Kremlin denied this, saying he is in good health.
In other developments, Putin on Tuesday told fellow BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) leaders during an online summit that “coordinating collective measures’’ to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic was the alliance’s priority.
Moscow was ready to cooperate with its BRICS partners “in the manufacturing and use” of the Russian-made vaccines, he said.
“There are Russian vaccines — they work effectively and safely,” Puting said. “It is very important to join forces for the mass production of these products for wide circulation.”
Two different vaccines have been approved in Russia, and a third one was “in the work,” he said.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund has agreements with India and Brazil to conduct trials of the jab, and with pharmaceutical companies in India and China to produce it, Putin said.
Other BRICS leaders also spoke about cooperation on the vaccine front, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that India’s vaccine production capacities would be important “for the interests of humanity,” and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) saying that Beijing “will actively consider” providing its vaccine to BRICS countries “if there is need.”
Additional reporting by AP
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