Russian lawmakers debate reinstating death penalty post terrorist attack

Lawmakers argue that with Russia’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe, the initial rationale behind implementing the death penalty moratorium no longer applies, paving the way for reconsideration.

Russian lawmakers convened on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of lifting the moratorium on the death penalty in the wake of a recent terrorist assault on a concert hall in the Moscow region.

Concert hall attack

The discussion gained traction following a deadly attack on Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast, where gunmen killed at least 139 people and injured over 180.

The investigative committee apprehended 11 individuals, including four main perpetrators, in Bryansk, near the Ukrainian border.

The Basmanny District Court in Moscow charged the four suspects with terrorism and approved their pre-trial detentions until May 22.

‘No need for any referendums’

During a plenary session of Russia’s lower chamber of parliament, the State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin asserted that existing legislation allows for the reinstatement of capital punishment. 

“In our constitution and criminal legislation, no one has abolished the death penalty. There is a decision of the Constitutional Court, which postponed the imposition of such a sentence. Therefore, there is no need for any referendums. The decision of the Constitutional Court on this issue is enough,” Volodin emphasized.

He clarified that the debate arose from public discourse, aiming to inform the public of the current legal stance and the entity responsible for decision-making.

Volodin emphasized the necessity of cool-headedness in decision-making, stressing the importance of weighing all consequences.

The topic was placed on the State Duma’s agenda at the request of faction heads.

Death penalty reinstatement requires new constitution

The moratorium on the death penalty was initially implemented to fulfill international obligations to the Council of Europe. However, with Russia’s withdrawal from the organization, lawmakers argue there are no barriers to reconsidering it.

Valery Zorkin, chairman of the Russian Constitutional Court, previously indicated that reinstating the death penalty would require adopting a new constitution.

The ban on death sentences in Russia was established by the Constitutional Court in 1999 and reaffirmed in 2009.

The most recent execution in Russia dates back to 1996. Serial killer Sergey Golovkin was put to death for brutally torturing and killing 11 boys between 1986 and 1992.

Source: Newsroom

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