Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatyana MoskalkovaMOSCOW, Mar 4 Life imprisonment is an adequate measure punishment for grave and especially grave crimes, the suspension of Russia's membership in the Council of Europe will not lead to the return of the death penalty, human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova told RIA Novosti. Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, commenting on the suspension of Russia's membership in the Council of Europe, called it » a good opportunity to restore a number of important institutions to prevent especially serious crimes in the country — such as the death penalty for the most dangerous criminals. «For more than 20 years, a generation has grown up with different views and positions regarding punishment for serious and especially serious crimes. I think it is an adequate measure of punishment for a particularly serious crime Suspension of Russia's membership in Council E Europe will not lead to the fact that such a punishment as the death penalty will be returned in the country,» Moskalkova said. Earlier, the Council of Europe stated that Russia's rights in the organization were suspended, but this is a temporary measure and the country remains a member of the organization. In Russia since 1997 year there is an indefinite moratorium on capital punishment. This was one of the main conditions for Russia's entry into the Council of Europe. In 1999 and 2009, the court confirmed this decision, but formally the Constitutional Court did not abolish the death penalty, since only the legislator can do this. The last death sentence in Russia was carried out on September 2, 1996.
