MOSСOW, March 17 (RAPSI) – A group of State Duma lawmakers submitted a bill to the lower house of parliament on rehabilitation of Crimean residents who have been suffering political repressions from Ukrainian authorities until March 18, 2014, RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday.

Individuals who strongly stood for reunification of Crimea with Russia have been condemned by Ukrainian courts and still continue to be convicts, reads an explanatory note to the document.

Ukrainian authorities persecuted the peninsula residents over the years for their political and social views and activity aimed to put the historical record straight and reunite Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia, according to the bill’s authors.

The bill says that political activists of Crimea may be rightly considered to be victims of political repressions as they have been denied normal job and opportunity of self-fulfillment after initiation of thin criminal cases by Ukraine’s State Security Service against them and following illegal conviction.

Crimea reunited with Russia following a referendum in March 2014. Over 96 percent of those who took part in the polls voted for joining Russia.