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Amnesty of participants in Donbass conflict possible after durable truce - spokeswoman

"The amnesty can take place only after the active phase of the conflict is over and the period of tranquility begins," Irina Gerashchenko wrote in her column at the Ukrainskaya Pravda portal

KIEV, May 7. /TASS/. Amnesty to participants in combat actions in eastern Ukraine will be possible after durable observance of tranquility in the conflict zone, Irina Gerashchenko, a deputy speaker of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada and the plenipotentiary representative of the Kiev government at the Minsk talks on peace settlement in eastern Ukraine said on Friday.

"The amnesty can take place only after the active phase of the conflict is over and the period of tranquility begins," she wrote in her column at the Ukrainskaya Pravda portal. "The amnesty won’t embrace murderers, as well as the individuals involved in crimes against humanity and terrorism."

In addition to it, she cited the need for transparent elections, which make up "an important prerequisite for the amnesty." Along with it, she said an amnesty is not linked to the ongoing exchanges of prisoners of war.

"We’re scrutinizing the experience with amnesties gained in other countries that have gone through conflicts, for instance, Croatia and Indonesia and some others," Gerashchenko wrote.

Adoption of a law on amnesty for the individuals involved in the events in eastern Ukraine is an item in the Complex of Measures for implementing the Minsk accords aimed to scale down the tensions in Donbass.

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