MOSCOW, May 20 (RIA Novosti) – Nearly 23,000 people have been freed as of mid-May under an amnesty marking the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution, the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) said Tuesday.
“Since the date when the decree on amnesty was approved, a total of 22,790 people have been released as of May 16, 2014,” the service said in a statement.
The amnesty applied to thousands of people in Russian correctional and juvenile facilities and those registered by penal inspectors. Some people were released from house arrest.
Russia’s lower house of parliament, the Russian State Duma, approved a resolution on the amnesty for Russian prisoners in December. The amnesty applies to women, minors, women having children, and those serving sentences of up to five years for first-time non-violent offenses.
