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Decline of death penalty in Russia

<span class="title_image">Crédits Nikolai Kibalchich (cc)</span><span class="description_image">Crédits Nikolai Kibalchich (cc)</span><br/><span class="author"></span><br/><span class="copyright"><img src= alt="" title=""/></span><span class="title_licence"></span>

Crédits Nikolai Kibalchich (cc)Crédits Nikolai Kibalchich (cc)

Articles | Publié le 10.11.2011 Since Russia became member of the Council of Europe in 1996, it had signed on a procedure to outlaw death penalty in the near future. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin claims to be strongly against death penalty and Russia voted in favor of United Nations' resolution for a global moratorium on executions in 2008

The Museum of Political History of Russia, funded in 1919, currently presents a temporary exhibition about the death penalty issue in Russia. This is the occasion to remind us the ambiguous positioning of the country on that matter: even if suspended, capital penalty has not been legally abolished yet.

The Yaroslav Law

In Medieval times, capital punishment was rarely used in Russia whilst strictly regulated by the Yaroslav Law. Then, the Russian Empire outrageously practiced death penalty sentence. The Pskov Code of 1497 contains a very long list of capital crimes -about 63- and the execution methods were staggeringly cruel. Thought, Elizabeth -Peter the Great's daughter- and Catherine II both temporarily eradicated death penalty under their reign. However, they ran counter to public opinion and to the nobility. After the Red October events, the revolutionaries of 1917 made death penalty a high priority. It is outlawed on March, 12th 1918 but rapidly restored- Fanny Kaplan was executed on September, 4th of the same year for assassinate attempt on the person of Lenin.

« Supreme Degree of Punishment »

During the Stalin years, death penalty was a tool serving the communist party terror: it reached its paroxysm during the Great Purges of 1936/38. Capital sentence in the USSR was called « Supreme Degree of Punishment », but was most known under its abbreviation VMN (Vysshaya Mera Nakazaniya). It was again abolished on May, 26th 1947 and restored in 1950 for cases of treason, spying and murder. Under Gorbachev presidency, the practice of capital sentence decreased before dropping after the collapse of USSR, till an average of 10 executions per year.

The Russian Federation Penal Code introduced in 1996 gathers 5 capital crimes: aggravated homicide with premeditation; homicide attempt on a public figure or a civil servant; on a justice administrator or a justice servant; and finally for genocide. The last execution in Russia happened on Sept, 2nd 1996. But since Russia became member of the Council of Europe in 1996, it had signed on a procedure to outlaw death penalty in the near future. Former President Boris Yeltsin set a moratorium on executions -still in force- which ran counter to constant refusal of the Parliament (State Duma) for legally abolishing death penalty.

The Chechen issue

In order to get deeper understanding of the lack of consensus among Russian society on this topic, we need to remember that the country deals with interior terrorism, and that the Chechen issue tends to radicalize positions. Nikolai Shepel, General Procurator in the Beslan hostages' case required death punishment against Nurpashi Kulayev, the only hostage-taking survivor of the Beslan school slaughter in 2004 (which caused the death of more than 300 victims, half of whom were children). Finally, he finally was sentenced in 2006 life imprisonment despite victims' families' claims for his execution.

80% of survey group claimed to be in favor of death penalty

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin claims to be strongly against death penalty and Russia voted in favor of United Nations' resolution for a global moratorium on executions in 2008. However, a wide majority of the population is favorable to death penalty, according to polls. According to an investigation realized by the popular newspaper Komsomlets, 80% of the survey group claimed to be in favor of death penalty. Otherwise, international organizations accuse Russia of summary executions, rapes, torture and disappearances since the troops invaded Chechen Republic in October 1999 in order to make separatists give in. Obviously, the anti-death penalty stance sorely fits the securitarian policy of the country.

*** Sources ***

http://www.brandeis.edu/now/2010/october/russianjudge.html

http://www.abolition.fr/ecpm/french/fiche-pays.php?pays=rus

Article en anglais sur Pravda.ru

Juliette Sondey, Saint Petersburg Russie

//Rubrique Politique

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