Russian State Duma, lower house of the parliament, on Wednesday granted amnesty to about 25,000 people to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of Russian Constitution.

The amnesty's version approved by 446 Duma deputies was submitted by President Vladimir Putin, along with 11 other editions. The Russian Constitution gives the State Duma the exclusive right to announce amnesty.

According to the document, the amnesty applies to convicts who have committed crimes before turning 18 years old, women with minor children and pregnant ones, retired and disabled persons, servicemen, officers of the law-enforcement agencies and former governmental combatants.

It also applies to the Greenpeace's activists currently under investigation, participants of the 2012 anti-government riots and some opposition activists.

Only those sentenced for less than five years, or have not been convicted but are suspects or defendants, could be pardoned.

However, the amnesty does not apply to people convicted for crimes related to public danger, using violence, to individuals who intentionally committed crimes in detention facilities, and to convicts seriously violating detention regulations.

The amnesty came in force on the same day, with the pardoned to be released within six months.