MOSCOW, December 4 - RAPSI. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting prisoners the right to request mitigation of their punishment themselves.

"The federal law grants convicts and their attorneys (legal representative) the right to file a motion to change their correctional facility or substitute the term of punishment yet to be served with a lighter punishment," the reference to the law reads.

Pursuant to the law, the administration of the institution or the body executing the punishment retains the right to submit an application to the court to change the correctional facility for a convict with a positive character report or substitute the term of punishment yet to be served with a lighter punishment.