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Ombudsman supports idea to amnesty Bolotnaya Square riot case participants

“An anniversary of the Constitution is a good opportunity to demonstrate not only resoluteness but also mercy,” the ombudsman said

Photo EPA/SERGEI ILNITSKY

Photo EPA/SERGEI ILNITSKY

MOSCOW, September 20 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Human Rights Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin supports the idea of an amnesty on participants in the Bolotnaya Square riot case.

“I support the president’s statement. I consider it correct, timely and promising. I think it was circumspect as this is a serious case,” Lukin told Tass commenting on a statement of President Vladimir Putin who said he did not rule out such a decision.

“An anniversary of the Constitution (which marks 20 years this year – ed.) is a good opportunity to demonstrate not only resoluteness but also mercy,” the ombudsman said. “Such amnesty will help to defuse the tension in the society among different political forces,” Lukin believes.

“If there is a political will, lawyers will find mechanisms for the implementation,” he said in reply to the query about a possibility to approve amnesty before the trial of the case of mass riots on Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012 was finished.

On Thursday, co-chairman of the Republican Party of Russia - People's Freedom Party (RPR-PARNAS) Vladimir Ruzhkov came up with an offer to think about an amnesty on participants in the case in order to resolve concerns of a big number of people. “As for the amnesty, I don’t rule this out, but a possibility must be given to bring to the end of all necessary legal procedures,” the president said in response.

Putin stressed that all moves was to be in line with the law and warned against “blackmailing the authorities that they would be labeled as non-democratic”.

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