Putin’s press secretary attributes confusion over firearms amendments to ‘database error’

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's official spokesman, told reporters today that President Putin signed the correct version of legislative amendments this week, saying that the parliament's online database contains a slightly different version of the laws' text by accident.

“The [parliamentary] database is not the official publisher [of Russia’s laws],” said Peskov.

The amendment that now appears on the parliament's database allows for 10-year firearms licenses. This proposal appeared in older versions of the bill, said Peskov. By contrast, the bill adopted by parliament and signed by Putin allows for only five-year licenses.