Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin called for the abolition of the moratorium on the death penalty. A fragment of his speech from the forum in St. Petersburg is given by “Caution, news.”
“I still have a big question: why don’t we lift the moratorium, taking into account the fact that the number of serious crimes is growing, and return the death penalty to our legislation?» — he said and referred to the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall.
“The 15 defendants [in the terrorist attack case] will receive, at a maximum, life imprisonment. What does it mean? Three meals a day, two-hour walks. I can’t afford to walk for two hours, I don’t have time for that. Sometimes I have time to have lunch,” Bastrykin added. — [Prisoners are also entitled to] a medical examination, including a dentist. Do his (the prisoner’s – MZ) teeth hurt? Do you know how much it costs to keep one convicted person in prison?”
The moratorium on the death penalty was adopted in Russia by a decision of the Constitutional Court in February 1999, but has been in effect de facto since 1996 (the last sentenced to death was executed in September 1996). In 1997, Russia signed Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, but has not yet ratified it — the only member state of the Council of Europe (after ratification, the death penalty should be completely abolished).
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine and expulsion from the Council of Europe, Russian politicians, such as Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, began to talk again about the return of the death penalty. After the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, Medvedev and other politicians returned to this topic. “No trials or investigations will help if force is not countered by force, and deaths by total executions of terrorists and repressions against their families,” Medvedev wrote.