Press release

Foreign Office welcomes Russian Presidential amnesty

FCO welcomes news that the “Arctic 30”, Pussy Riot detainees, and others are eligible for the Russian Presidential amnesty.

From:
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Published
20 December 2013
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

On 18 December, the Russian Presidential administration granted a prisoner amnesty to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Russian constitution.

The 30 Greenpeace activists and journalists, the Pussy Riot protesters, and a number of the Bolotnaya protesters are idenfitied as eligble for the amnesty.

An FCO spokesman said:

This is a welcome development from the Russian Government and we are pleased that the six British Nationals on bail in St Petersburg are eligible for amnesty. We hope they will be able to return to the UK, their families and friends in time for Christmas. It is also welcome that two members of Pussy Riot and a number of the Bolotnaya protestors are eligible.

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Published 20 December 2013