 In February 1915, Germany and Russia concluded an agreement for the mutual repatriation of civilian prisoners which provided that deportees, except for healthy males ages 17–45 that were fit for military duty, could return to their native country.However, many deportees lacked identity papers and the Russian authorities denied or delayed many passport applications.In March 1917, after the February Revolution, the Russian Provisional Government revoked all extrajudicial punishments thus granting amnesty and freedom of movement to all deportees.