State Duma partially deprives Vladimir Bessonov of his immunity

The Russian State Duma has stripped immunity from Vladimir Bessonov and consented to instituting a criminal case against the MP from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), who is accuses the consequence of resisting police during an election event in Rostov-on-Don on December 2, 2011.

This morning a number of MPs from the CPRF and "Spravedlivaya Rossiya" (Fair Russia) Party offered to remove the issue of Bessonov's immunity from consideration; however, but the majority of Duma MPs voted against it.

In total, the deprivation of Bessonov's immunity was voted as 281 for, and 158 against, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

At considering this issue, Ildar Gabdrakhmanov, the head of the Committee on Rules and Work Organization of the State Duma, has stressed that the issue was not a complete removal of immunity, but only in part of initiating a criminal case, the "Interfax" reports.

"It means that the investigatory authorities may carry out all necessary procedural actions, except for such actions as search or arrest," said Gabdrakhmanov.

According to his story, in order to conduct a search or make an arrest, an additional presentation of the Prosecutor General and the consent of the State Duma will be required.