According to Article 50 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, anyone convicted of a crime has the right to request a pardon. According to Article 89 of the Constitution, the President of Russia holds the exclusive authority to grant a pardon.
In accordance with the Regulation on the Procedure for Considering Requests for Pardon in the Russian Federation, approved by Presidential Executive Order No. 787 of December 14, 2020 On Certain Aspects of Pardons Commissions’ Operation in the Constituent Territories of the Russian Federation, a pardon may be granted to: individuals who have been convicted by Russian courts to serve sentences as stipulated in the criminal law and are serving their sentences on Russian territory; individuals who have been convicted by foreign courts and are serving their sentences in Russia in accordance with international treaties to which the Russian Federation is a signatory or on the basis of reciprocity; individuals released on parole, during the remaining unserved part of the sentence; probationers, as well as individuals under suspended sentences by Russian courts; and individuals who have served a sentence but whose conviction remains on record.
The same Regulation sets forth the procedure for preliminary consideration of requests for pardon by the pardons commissions in constituent territories of the Russian Federation.
A pardon is granted by a Presidential executive order on pardon on the basis of an appropriate petition from the convicted person or a person who has served a sentence but whose conviction remains on record.
Advisory and methodological support for pardons commissions’ operation in the constituent territories of the Russian Federation is provided by the Presidential Directorate for Protection of Citizens' Constitutional Rights.