MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's parliament is about to vote on a bill offering amnesty to Chechen militants who have no major crime record and are willing to lay down their arms, spokesmen for the lower house of parliament said Monday.
The bill, tabled by President Vladimir Putin, is a follow-up on the Kremlin's offer of a fair trial for cooperative militants in Chechnya and other parts of the restive North Caucasus region. It was made after the elimination of the number one terrorist Shamil Basayev in July, and was initially valid until August 1, with the deadline later extended to September 30.
Earlier this month, Russian security authorities said more than 200 militants had accepted the surrender offer since its announcement on July 15, most of them in Chechnya.
