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Russia to give Putin lifelong legal immunity
By EUobserver
The Russian parliament's lower house - the Duma - has backed a bill granting Russian presidents and their families immunity from criminal prosecution after they leave office, the BBC reports. The bill increased speculation about Russian president Vladimir Putin's political future. He has been in power since 2000. Putin's fourth term ends in 2024, but recent constitutional amendments allow him to run for two more terms after that.