From the MT:
“Putin
Grants Lifetime Immunity to Ex-Presidents and Their Families”
President
Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed into law a bill granting lifetime immunity
from criminal prosecution to Russian presidents and their family members. The
law comes amid swirling questions over Putin’s future after his current term
limit expires in 2024 and is part of sweeping constitutional reforms allowing
Putin to ignore current limits and run for two more six-year presidential
terms. Under the new law, former presidents are immune from criminal or
administrative prosecution and may not be detained, arrested or subject to
searches, interrogations or bodily searches. An ex-president can only be stripped of
immunity if the State Duma brings charges of high treason or other felonies
against him or her. If those charges are approved by the Supreme Court and the
Constitutional Court, the Federation Council would then vote on whether or not
to strip the ex-president of immunity within three months. If no decision is
reached within three months, the charges are lifted. When drafting the legislation this year,
Russian lawmakers argued that similar laws already exist in other countries
around the world. Putin has not
confirmed whether he will run for re-election in 2024. When asked about his
post-2024 plans at his annual press conference last week, he said he will do
what is in the country's best interests.
^ Putin signing
a law that protects Putin is not surprising. ^
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