MOSCOW, April 24 (RAPSI) - The lower house of Russian parliament, the State Duma, passed an amnesty bill in the third and final reading that will release up to 60,000 inmates, RIA Novosti reported on Friday.

The decree may be enforced already this weekend. The authority to pardon belongs to the State Duma, according to Russian law. The decree takes effect on the day it is published and must be fulfilled within six months.

The amnesty includes first-time offenders convicted of minor or average gravity crimes who defended the country or participated in the military operation in Afghanistan or other countries and were presented with state awards by the Soviet Union or the Russian Federation.

Additionally, any convicts who participated in cleaning the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster or were affected by radiation when the incident occurred are also eligible for amnesty.

Other pardoned prisoners may include women and single men who have minor children or children with disabilities. However, the amnesty does not include those convicts in this category who committed crimes against underage children.

Minor convicts, pregnant women, men over 55 and women over 50, patients with acute tuberculosis, or 3 or 4 stage cancer will also be included in the amnesty.

The pardoned prisoners exclude those convicted of serious crimes such as murder, rape, terrorism, extremism, kidnapping, bribery, vandalism, crimes against minors, drug trafficking, illegal trade of explosives, medication, or car accidents that killed two or more people.