Suspended since 1996
Putin loyalists discuss the death penalty
March 24, 2024, 3:52 p.m
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The death penalty has not been abolished in Russia, but a moratorium prevents its execution. After the terrorist attack near Moscow, high-ranking politicians are calling for these to be reintroduced. At least for certain crimes.
After the attack on a concert hall near Moscow that left more than 130 dead, domestic political allies of Russian leader Vladimir Putin have spoken out in favor of reintroducing the death penalty. “Now many questions are being asked about the death penalty. (…) A decision will be made that corresponds to the mood and expectations of our society,” said the parliamentary group leader of the ruling United Russia party, Vladimir Vasiliev, at the weekend.
The death penalty has been suspended in Russia since 1996. However, deputy chairman of the Duma Security Affairs Committee Yuri Afonin said: “It is necessary to reintroduce the death penalty when it comes to terrorism and murder.” Already on Friday, the former head of state and current deputy of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, declared on the Telegram online service: “Terrorists only understand retaliatory terror (…) death for death.”
The calls for the reintroduction of the death penalty also cause concern in Russia: “Do you realize how many people the system could kill?” asked women’s rights activist Alyona Popova on Telegram about the possible consequences. She was referring to the Russian authorities’ widespread use of laws against “terrorism” or “extremism.”
According to the independent website “Mediazona”, a record number of 143 cases allegedly related to “terror” were prosecuted in Russia last year. Before 2018, there were fewer than 20 judicial cases of this type every year. Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in a prison camp in February, was one of those prisoners in Russia for “extremism”. Since the attack on Ukraine began in February 2022, Russia has repeatedly released criminals, including murderers, from prison to deploy them to the front.