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Ukraine’s amnesty law has saved opposition activists from prison terms - lawmaker

KIEV, January 31, /ITAR-TASS/. Having passed an amnesty law, Ukraine’s parliamentary majority has actually saved opposition activists from prison, Vitaly Zuravsky, a member of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament) with the ruling Party of Regions, said on Friday.

“The lawmakers have virtually saved opposition activists, who violated 25 articles of the country’s Criminal Code, from considerable prison terms,” he said in a statement. “For instance, such offences as seizure of buildings, mass riots, resisting the police or intentional destruction or damage to property carry a punishment of a prison term from five to ten years.”

According to Zhuravsky, by passing this law, the lawmakers have made incredible concessions to the opposition. “It was done with the only goal - to normalize the situation in the country, to prevent further escalation of violence and to continue peaceful settlement efforts,” he noted.

The bill that was passed into law without consideration on January 29 amnesties all participants in street riots, except those who have committed grave crimes.

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