Several executives of Vladimir Putin's regime have, since the deadly attack in Moscow, increased calls for the lifting of the moratorium on the death penalty for
"terrorists"
.
“Today, many are asking the question of the death penalty (...) a decision will be made which will meet the expectations of our society
,” commented the head of the parliamentary group of the ruling United Russia party, Vladimir Vassiliev, regarding the lifting of the moratorium in place since 1996.
Another parliamentary official, in charge of security issues, Yuri Afonine, went further:
“when we talk about terrorism, the murder of people, we must reinstate the death penalty within the framework of criminal law”
.
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Sergei Mironov, a figure in the pro-Kremlin
“Just Russia”
party , also called
for “the establishment of the death penalty for people committing terrorist acts”
.
The death penalty is no longer applied in Russia since the commitment made by this country in 1996 when it joined the Council of Europe.
It was never officially abolished, but when the moratorium expired, the constitutional court considered that the application of the death penalty was impossible.