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Doesn't have to worry about his legal future: Russia's President Vladimir Putin
Photo:
Aleksey Nikolskyi, Kremlin Pool / dpa
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin has secured permanent protection from prosecution.
This emerges from a new immunity law that applies to former Russian heads of state.
Accordingly, Putin's family does not have to expect investigations after his resignation from the presidency.
So far, the Inviolability Act applied to all acts during the term of office.
From now on it is also about possible crimes that become known after the departure.
The independent portal meduza.io wrote that ex-president Dmitry Medvedev was protected from prosecution.
The new law also provides for higher hurdles for the withdrawal of immunity - and a complicated procedure.
According to the information, withdrawal is only possible if there is a charge of high treason or in the case of a serious crime.
The State Duma would have to initiate such a procedure.
The final decision is therefore incumbent on the Federation Council.
"What if the opposition comes to power?"
Yuri Sinelschtschikow, Communist Party of Russia
The Duma deputy Yuri Sinelschtschikow from the Communist Party told the daily newspaper “Vedomosti” on the grounds of the new law: “In future, an ex-president must be prevented from being brought to justice.
What if the opposition comes to power?
It is for this reason that such laws are passed. "
The 68-year-old Putin had only secured far-reaching powers with a constitutional amendment in the summer.
In theory, he can remain in office until 2036.
The Kremlin chief has so far left it open whether he will run again in the 2024 election.
Another controversial law passed
Lower House MPs in Moscow also approved another controversial law on Tuesday giving confidentiality status to data on judicial, law enforcement, and military and security officials.
Putin still has to sign it before the law comes into force;
however, this step is considered a formality.
The law was passed by parliament the day after the recording of a telephone conversation between Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and an agent of the Russian domestic secret service FSB was published.
In it Navalny elicited precise details from the agent about the course of the poison attack on him in August.
Navalny pretended to be an assistant to the head of the National Security Council during the phone call.
After the phone call, Navalny published the contact details of the FSB agent.
This would be illegal after the new law came into force.
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hba / dpa / AFP