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The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. (Photo by Alexei DruzhininTASS via Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation on Tuesday that will grant lifetime immunity to former presidents once they leave office.
The bill, which was published online Tuesday, grants former presidents and their families immunity from prosecution for crimes committed during their lifetime.
They will also be exempt from being questioned by the police or investigators, as well as from searches or arrests.
The legislation was part of constitutional amendments that were approved this summer in a nationwide vote that allows Putin, 68, to remain president until 2036.
Before the bill became law, former presidents were immune from prosecution only for crimes committed while in office.
Now, a former president can still be stripped of immunity if he is charged with treason or other serious crimes and the charges are upheld by the Supreme and Constitutional courts.
But legislation Putin signed on Tuesday will additionally grant former presidents a life seat on the Federation Council or the Senate, a position that ensures immunity from prosecution upon leaving the presidency.
Last month, pending bills sparked rumors that the long-time Russian leader plans to resign due to poor health, a claim the Kremlin denied.
On Tuesday, the lower house state Duma passed legislation that makes confidential information about employees of Russia’s judicial system, law enforcement agencies, and military and regulatory bodies.
The bill now requires Putin’s signature to become law, a step that is considered a formality.
It comes a day after opposition figure Alexei Navalny said he phoned an alleged security officer and tricked him into admitting that the Federal Security Service (FSB) tried to kill him in August by poisoning.
Navalny said he had gained access to the security agent’s phone number from leaked records and travel logs.
The Kremlin critic later published the agent’s alleged address and phone number, actions that would become illegal under the recently proposed legislation.
