Ukraine parliament passes Party of Region MP's amnesty bill, special session closed
KYIV. Jan 30 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian parliament has adopted a bill guaranteeing that people detained at riots that occurred during "peaceful assemblies" in the country will not be exposed to criminal prosecution and punishment, the author of the bill, Party of Regions MP Yuriy Myroshnychenko, told reporters.
The bill was supported by 232 of the 416 parliamentarians registered at the session hall.
Verkhovna Rada Speaker Volodymyr Rybak closed the special session immediate after the vote.
The next routine parliamentary session has been set for February 4.
The text of the bill has not been published on the Verkhovna Rada website so far.
The document, however, includes a condition that an amnesty for protesters will come into force only after they leave administrative buildings that were earlier taken over by them.
Myroshnychenko explained that protesters will be required to free all of the administrative buildings seized by them, but this demand does not apply to the Trade Unions House, Oktyabrsky Palace, Independence Square and Khreshchatyk Street.
"The offices must be freed first. This law will be enacted then. This law will be valid for 15 days," he said.
