Both legal and moral status of Capital punishment in Russia are currently controversial. There exists both an implicit moratorium established by the President and an explicit one, established by the nation's highest court; however, the latter is due to expire in three years. Russia has not executed anyone since 1996, and the regulations of Council of Europe prohibit it from doing so at any time in future. However, the death penalty still remains codified. Recently President Vladimir Putin said Russia will retain moratorium. Look up Moratorium in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Palais de lEurope in Strasbourg Council of Europe Flag: used by the Council of Europe The Council of Europe (French: , German: ) is an international organization of 46 member states in the European region (with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Cyprus also extending into Southwest Asia and Russia into... Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: ) (born October 7, 1952) is the incumbent President of Russia. ...

History

Russian Empire

The Russian Empire practiced the death penalty extensively, as did almost all countries before the 20th century. One of the first legal documents resembling a modern Penal Code was enacted in 1398, which mentioned a single capital crime: a theft performed after two prior convictions (an early precursor to the current Three-strikes laws existing in several U.S. states). The Pskov Code of 1497 extends this list signficicantly, mentioning three specialized theft instances (committed in a church, stealing a horse, or, as before, with two prior "strikes") as well as arson and treason. The trend to increase the number of capital crimes was duly followed; in 1649, this list included 63 crimes, a figure that was nearly doubled during the reign of Peter the Great. The methods of execution were extremely cruel by modern standards (but fully consistent with the standards of the time), and included drowning, burying alive, and forcing liquid metal into the throat. ^[1]. Anthem: God Save the Tsar! Russian Empire in 1914 Capital Saint Petersburg Language(s) Russian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1721-1725 Peter the Great  - 1894-1917 Nicholas II History  - Established 22 October, 1721  - February Revolution 2 March, 1917 Area  - 1897 22,400,000 km2 8,648,688 sq mi Population  - 1897... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Criminal Code. ... Events Glendalough monastery, Wicklow Ireland destroyed. ... Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a crime, often called a capital offense or a capital crime. ... Three strikes laws are a category of statutes enacted by state governments in the United States, beginning in the 1990s, to mandate long periods of imprisonment for persons convicted of a felony on three (or more) separate occasions. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the... St. ... The Skyline Parkway Motel in Afton, Virginia after an arson fire on July 9, 2004. ... Traitor redirects here. ... Peter I Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia Peter I (Pyotr Alekseyvich) (9 June 1672–8 February 1725 [30 May 1672–28 January 1725 O.S.1]) ruled Russia from 7 May (27 April O.S.) 1682 until his death. ...

"The morning of the Streltsy execution" by Vasily Ivanovich Surikov.

Some executions gained considerable fame both inside the country and in the outside world. Perhaps the two most famous instances are the mass execution of Streltsy (Стрельцы) by Peter the Great, and of the Decembrists by Nicholas I, both of which were the direct result of failed uprisings. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x580, 123 KB) Morning of excution of streltsy by Vasily Ivanovich Surikov File links The following pages link to this file: Red Square Streltsy Vasily Surikov Streltsy Uprising Wikipedia:Commons ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x580, 123 KB) Morning of excution of streltsy by Vasily Ivanovich Surikov File links The following pages link to this file: Red Square Streltsy Vasily Surikov Streltsy Uprising Wikipedia:Commons ... Self-Portrait Vasily Ivanovich Surikov (Василий Иванович Суриков) (January 24, 1848 (Julian calendar: January 12) – March 19, 1916 (Julian calendar: March 6)) was the foremost Russian painter of large-scale historical subjects. ... It has been suggested that Streltsy Department be merged into this article or section. ... Decembrists at the Senate Square The Decembrist revolt or the Decembrist uprising (Russian: ) was attempted in Imperial Russia by army officers who led about 3,000 Russian soldiers on December 14 (December 26 New Style), 1825. ... Nicholas I (Russian: Николай I Павлович, Nikolai I Pavlovich), July 6 (June 25, Old Style), 1796–March 2 (February 18, Old Style), 1855), was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855. ...

Elizabeth did not share her father's views on the death penalty, and officially suspended it in 1744, effectively enacting what would be known as moratorium in modern times. This moratorium lasted for 11 years, at which point the death penalty was permitted again, after considerable opposition to the moratorium from both the nobility and, in part, the Empress herself. ^[1] Charles van Loo. ...

Perhaps the first public statement on the matter to be both serious and strong came from Catherine the Great, whose liberal views were consistent with her acceptance of Enlightenment. In Nakaz, the Empress expresses a disdain for death penalty, considering it to be improper, and adding that "in the usual state of the society, death penalty is neither useful nor needed". However, an explicit exception was still allowed for the case of someone who, even while convicted and incarcerated, "still has the means and the might to ignite public unrest". ^[2]. Catherine II (Екатерина II Алексеевна: Yekaterína II Alekséyevna, April 21, 1729 - November 6, 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from... Look up Enlightenment in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The title page of the Nakaz. ...

Consistent with Catherine's stance, the next several decades marked a shift of public perception towards the lesser degree of acceptance of the death penalty. In 1824, the very existence of such a punishment was among the reasons for legislature's refusal to approve a new version of the Penal Code. Just one year later, the Decembrist revolt failed and a court sentenced 36 of the rebels to death.^[1] Nicholas I's decision to commute all but five of the sentences was highly unusual for the time, especially taking into account that revolts against the monarchy had almost universally resulted in an automatic death sentence, and was perhaps due to society's changing views of the death penalty. Decembrists at the Senate Square The Decembrist revolt or the Decembrist uprising (Russian: ) was attempted in Imperial Russia by army officers who led about 3,000 Russian soldiers on December 14 (December 26 New Style), 1825. ... Nicholas I (Russian: Николай I Павлович, Nikolai I Pavlovich), July 6 (June 25, Old Style), 1796–March 2 (February 18, Old Style), 1855), was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855. ... Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially of terms of imprisonment. ...

Soviet Union

The death penalty was officially outlawed shortly after the February Revolution of 1917. The provisional government enacted the prohibition on March 12, but (in exactly two months) somewhat weakened it by allowing death penalty for soldiers on the front.^[3] The government itself lasted less than a year, however. The February Revolution (N.S.: March Revolution) of 1917 in Russia was the first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917. ...

The Soviet government confirmed the abolishment almost immediately after assuming power, but restored it for some crimes very soon. Over the next several decades, the death penalty was alternatively permitted and prohibited, with periods before the next change sometimes lasting very little. The list of capital crimes likewise underwent several changes. Soviet redirects here. ...

Under the rule of Joseph Stalin, many were executed, sometimes without a trial, and in many instances in a speedy trial, in what is universally accepted as one of the bloodiest periods of Russian history. Many of the death sentences were pronounced by specially appointed triple-person commission of officials, who were not judges in any reasonably sense of the word; according to a pro-Stalinist source,^[4] this was done in the majority of the cases. The exact number of executions is debated, with estimates ranging as low as 800,000 to as high as tens of millions. (See also: Stalin#Number of victims) The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Great Purge From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Purges) Jump to: navigation, search The Great Purge (Russian: Большая чистка, transliterated Bolshaya chistka) is the name given to campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin during the late 1930s. ... What does it mean? The Russian word troika (threesome, triumvirate) denoted commissions of three persons as an additional instrument of extrajudicial punishment (внесудебная расправа, внесудебное преследование) introduced to supplement the legal system with a means for quick punishment of anti-Soviet elements. ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვი&#4314...

After World War II, the death penalty was again outlawed and substituted with imprisonment for 25 years, but soon restored again: first for treason and espionage, and then for aggravated murder.^{[1] [3]} The Penal Code of 1960 significantly extended the list of capital crimes, but the practical rarity of the death penalty's application was not changed. In most cases (96% according to 1987 statistics), only murders of several people, of children, or those committed in an especially cruel manner were punished by death. According to 1985-1989 statistics, the death penalty accounted for less than 1 in 2000 sentences. ^[1] Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Traitor redirects here. ... Espionage (spying) is a practice of obtaining information about an organization or a society that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. ... Aggravation is a legal concept, which Blacks Law Dictionary defines as: Any circumstance attending the commission of a crime or tort which increases its guilt or enormity or adds to its injurious consequences, but which is above and beyond the essential constituents of the crime or tort itself. ...

Current status

Statute limitations

Section 20 of the Russian Constitution states that everyone has the right to life, and that "until its abolishment, death penalty may only be passed for the most serious crimes against human life." Additionally, all such sentences require jury trial. ^[5] The inclusion of the abolishment wording has been interpreted by some^[3] as the requirement that death penalty be abolished at some point in future. The current Constitution of the Russian Federation (Конституция Российской Федерации) was adopted by national referendum on December 12, 1993 replacing the previous Soviet-era Constitution of April 12, 1978 of Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic following the Russian constitutional crisis of 1993. ... For the 1980s television show, see Trial by Jury (TV). ...

The current Penal Code^[6] permits death penalty for five crimes:

• murder, with certain aggravating circumstances (section 105.2)
• attempted murder of a government or public official (section 277),
• attempted murder of a person carrying out justice or a preliminary investigation (section 295),
• attempted murder of a law enforcement officer (section 317),
• genocide (section 357).

No crime has a mandatory death penalty sentence; each of the five sections mentioned above also permit a sentence of life imprisonment as well as a prison term of not less than eight or 12 (depending on crime) nor more than twenty, years. Moreover, men under the age of 18 or above the age of 65 as of the time crime was committed, and all woman, are not eligible for death sentence. ^[1] Aggravation is a legal concept, which Blacks Law Dictionary defines as: Any circumstance attending the commission of a crime or tort which increases its guilt or enormity or adds to its injurious consequences, but which is above and beyond the essential constituents of the crime or tort itself. ... Murder is both a legal and a moral term, that are not always coincident. ... For the band, see The Police. ... Look up Genocide in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime, nominally for the entire remaining life of the prisoner, but in fact for a period which varies between jurisdictions: many countries have a maximum possible period of time a prisoner may be incarcerated, or require the possibility of parole...

Popular view

Absolute majority of reported opinion polls agree that death penalty enjoys popular support in Russia (just like it does in the U.S.). Especially high is the support for death penalty towards terrorists. For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... Terrorism refers to the use of violence for the purpose of achieving a political, religious, or ideological goal. ...

One of the latest polls reported that around three-quarters of those participating "do not mind" death penalty, and only 4% strongly feel against it. Those supporting death penalty offer fairly usual arguments in favor of their view: 44% argue that "death penalty is fair", and that "death should be caused for death", 9% believe that death penalty will decrease the crime rate, and 5% oppose the economic impact of life imprisonment on the taxpayers. Slightly less common arguments have been offered by minorities of those in favor of death penalty as well. 4% of them "see no sense in long imprisonment", whereas 3% are convinced that death penalty is the only meaningful punishment so long as corruption results in the possibility of freedom for bribes, and 1% believe that death penalty is ultimately more humane than continuous imprisonment. Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime, nominally for the entire remaining life of the prisoner, but in fact for a period which varies between jurisdictions: many countries have a maximum possible period of time a prisoner may be incarcerated, or require the possibility of parole... A prison is a place in which people are confined and deprived of a range of liberties. ... Look up freedom in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Bribery is the practice of offering a professional money or other favours in order to circumvent ethics in a variety of professions. ... ...

Ironically, the latter is also the single most cited reasons by those opposing death penalty, a view expressed by a quarter of poll participants. 4% of them believe that death is too easy of a punishment, evidently expressing their conviction in very low standards of life in current prisons. 3% believe that human life cannot be touched but by God, and about 1% have favored rather unusual views that "there's already too few people" as well as more common ones that everyone deserves a chance, and that "let them live, they are humans". This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

The current moratorium, which has been in force for ten years, is opposed by 55% and supported by 28%. ^[7]

Several prominent politicians and administration leaders have publicly called for removing the moratorium and resuming the practice of death penalty in the nation. Several others have at least expressed their views that the moratorium may legally be removed in the near future; included among them is Vladimir Kolesnikov, a former Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia. ^[8] Vladimir Ilyich Kolesnikov (in Russian: , b. ... Coat of Arms of the Prosecutor General of Russia The Prosecutor General of Russia (also Attorney General of Russia, Russian: ) heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General of Russian Federation (Генеральная прокуратура Российской Федерации). The Office of the Prosecutor General is entrusted with: prosecution in...

On the other hand, many prominent political and public figures argue for the complete abolishment of death penalty, primarily from moral grounds. Such arguments have diverse supporters, from human rights activists (such as Anatoliy Pristavkin) to a former federal judge Sergey Pashin. ^{[9] [10]}

Moratorium

One of the absolute requirements of Council of Europe for all members is that death penalty cannot be carried out for any crime. While the preferred method is abolition, the Council has demonstrated that it would accept a moratorium, at least temporarily. Consistent with this rule, on January 25 of 1996, the Council has required that Russia implements the moratorium immediately and fully abolishes death penalty within three years, in order for its bid for inclusion in the organization be to be approved. In a little over a month, Russia has agreed and became the member of the Council. ^[11]Whether the moratorium has actually happened as a matter of legal right is the subject of some controversy^[12]. The Palais de lEurope in Strasbourg Council of Europe Flag: used by the Council of Europe The Council of Europe (French: , German: ) is an international organization of 46 member states in the European region (with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Cyprus also extending into Southwest Asia and Russia into... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... This article is about law in society. ...

On May 16, 1996, then-President Boris Yeltsin issued an order "for the stepwise reduction in application of the death penalty in conjunction with Russia's entry into the Council of Europe", which is widely cited as de-facto establishing such moratorium. The order called on the legislature to prepare a law which would abolish death penalty, as well as recommended to decrease the number of capital crimes and required the authorities to treat those on the death row in a humane matter. ^[12] Although the order may be read as not specifically outlawing death penalty, this was eventually the practical effect, and it was accepted as such by the Council of Europe as Russia was granted membership in the organization. However, since the executions continued in the first half of 1996 - that is, after Russia signed the agreement - the Council was not satisfied and presented Russia with several ultimatums, threatening to expel the country if the death penalty continues to be carried out. In response, several more laws and orders have been enacted, and Russia has not executed anyone since August 1996. ^[11] President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... Yeltsin redirects here. ... The Palais de lEurope in Strasbourg Council of Europe Flag: used by the Council of Europe The Council of Europe (French: , German: ) is an international organization of 46 member states in the European region (with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Cyprus also extending into Southwest Asia and Russia into... Look up De facto in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... August is the eighth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

On February 2, 1999, the Constitutional Court of Russia has issued a temporary stay on any executions for a rather technical reason, but nevertheless granting the moratorium an unquestionable legal status for the first time. According to the Constitution as quoted above, a death sentence may only be pronounced by a jury trial, which are not yet implemented in some regions of the country. The court found that such disparity makes death sentences illegal in any part of the country, even those that do have the process of trial by jury implemented. According to the ruling, no death sentence may be passed until all regions of country have jury trials, which may happen as early as 2007, at which point the legal status of death penalty may again become questionable. ^[12] Constitutional Court of Russian Federation (Russian: Конституционный Суд Российской Федерации) is a high court which is empowered to rule on whether or not certain laws or presidential decrees are in fact contrary to the Constitution of Russia. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ...

On November 15, 2006, Duma has extended both the implementation of jury trials in the sole remaining region (Chechnya) and the moratorium on death penalty by three years, until early 2010. ^[13] November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with State Duma. ... Chechen Republic (IPA: ; Russian: , Chechenskaya Respublika; Chechen: , Noxçiyn Respublika), or, informally, Chechnya (; Russian: ; Chechen: , Noxçiyçö), sometimes referred to as Ichkeria, Chechnia, Chechenia or Nokhchiyn, is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). ...

The current form of execution in Russia is by shooting (firing a pistol bullet into the back of the head). World War I firing squad Execution by shooting is a form of capital punishment whereby an executed person is shot by a firearm or firearms. ...

References