PACE President called on Russia to abolish death penalty

The president stressed in the statement on the occasion of the international day against death penalty that all COE member states except Russia have abolished death penalty. He demanded Russia to show political will to abolish the death penalty. "The only living terrorist of Beslan events got life sentence and I approves Russia's this step. It shows Russia respects de facto moratorium. But I hope this moratorium will be substituted with the de-jure abolishment of death penalty," he said.

PACE president condemns any attempt of the restoration of death penalty in Europe.

Rene van der Linden also stated that unrecognized Transdnestr Moldova Republic, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia respect the abolishment of death penalty by Moldova and Georgia during the session held in June, 2006. He called on the states which did not abolish death penalty to study a will from 46 PACE countries. He did not mention the name of Nagorno Karabakh among separatist regimes. APA