Presidential-Immunity Bill Gets Weakened
The lower house of Russia’s parliament substantially weakened a Kremlin bill that would grant former presidents sweeping immunity from prosecution, in a move that could bring legal problems for Boris N. Yeltsin.
Under the new version, a former president can be prosecuted if parliament first agrees to strip immunity.
Immediately after Yeltsin resigned Dec. 31, 1999, his successor, Vladimir V. Putin, signed a decree guaranteeing immunity for former presidents. That prompted allegations that Yeltsin stepped down early out of fear of potential investigations into his administration.
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