Lavrov denies backtracking on pledge to abolish de

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Lavrov denies backtracking on pledge to abolish death penalty


Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denied that Russia is
backtracking on its commitment to the Council of Europe to abolish capital
punishment.

"We are not denying our commitment," he said responding to a participant
in the Monday mini-session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE) in Moscow. However, "at this stage we cannot ignore public
opinion, in particular the sentiments of our Federal Assembly," he said.

The question was raised because Russia alone among the 46 Council of
Europe member-states has not ratified protocol No. 6 abolishing the death
penalty.

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Russia determined to abolish death penalty - Gryzlov


Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov said Russia will abolish the death penalty
sooner or later.

"Whatever effort and time is needed, the ratification of protocol No. 6
[to the European Convention of Human Rights] is a national priority for
us," he said at a mini-session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE) in Moscow on Monday.

(source for both: Interfax)