Russian Prisoners will have a Right to Vote

Russian prisoners will be allowed voting for candidates.

26.Mar.15 3:39 PM
By Abigail Richards
Photo livejournal.com

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Russian Prisoners will have a Right to Vote

Possibility of providing prisoners with a right to vote will be discussed in the nearest future during public council of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation.

Vice President of Federal Chamber of Lawyers of Russian federation Vladislav Grib stated that prisoners can be provided with a right to vote in case necessary amendments and changes will be made in already existing law and constitution. Another variant is to change the definition of prison which is indicated in Russian constitution. Prisons can be renamed into places of detention. However, the official noted that those prisoners who were accused of especially grave crimes will hardly obtain right to vote in elections even if all necessary changes and amendments will be made.

Moreover Grib said that new changes are obligatory to be revised as right to vote for prisoners is determined by international standards and requirements.

It should be said that such idea was supported by representatives of Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights.

According to existing law several groups of Russian citizens do not have a right to vote or take part in elections. They include unfit to plead as well as people who were sentenced too imprisonment by the court.

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