Russia is considering an immunity Bill that would grant former presidents life-long immunity from criminal prosecution amid rumours current president Vladimir Putin is set to step down.
The Kremlin on Friday rejected as untrue a report in Britain's Sun newspaper which suggested Putin may have Parkinson's disease and be poised to quit early next year
The Sun cited Professor Valery Solovei, a Russian political pundit, who suggested earlier this week on a Moscow radio station that Putin was under pressure to step down due to his health.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the media report based on Solovei's assertions, which was widely picked up by other British tabloid newspapers, was false.
"It's absolute nonsense," said Peskov. "Everything is fine with the president."
Asked if Putin was planning to step down in the near future as Solovei had suggested, Peskov said: "No".
The report of Putin's proposed step-down followed a proposition by the lower house of Russia's legislature of an immunity law.
Currently, Russian ex-presidents have immunity from criminal prosecution for any crimes committed while they were in office.
The proposed Bill would extend this to any offences committed in their lifetimes.
Putin has been Russia's president since 2000.
