The public and political association Yabloko thinks that changes will
be introduced in autumn 2001 to the Criminal Code of the RF. These changes may repeal the moratorium on the implementation of court decisions on the death penalty effective in the Russian Federation at present.

Deputy Head of the Yabloko faction in the State Duma Igor Artemyev made this statement at a press conference in St. Petersburg on July 2, 2001.

Artemyev thinks that at present the work of the Presidential Pardon Commission headed by famous Russian writer and defender of human rights Anatoli Pristavkin has been suspended.

Artemyev regards this as a "real" attempt to remove Pristavkin from his
post as head of the Commission, replacing him by a candidate who would be "more under control and adequate to the intentions of the heads of the interior, the defence ministries and the secret service to introduce the death penalty."

At the same time Artemyev is convinced that the dismissal of a writer who "is well-known for his democratic views” would provoke a negative response from the Council of Europe and all over the civilised world as a signal of Russia's return to authoritarian totalitarism." "We have already had this, and would not wish to make the same mistakes again," added Igor Artemyev.

According to official data, since its creation in 1992 the Presidential Pardon Commission has examined 5,000-6,000 criminal cases annually, and over the past two years examined 10,000-12,000 cases. A total of 55,000 convicts have been pardoned following appeals from the Commission.

Based on Interfax reports.

See also:

Yabloko insists on normalisation of the work of the Pardon Commission. Press release, June 28, 2001