MOSCOW: The Kremlin has stated that it is not taking part in talks regarding the reinstatement of the death penalty, a topic brought up by key allies of President Vladimir Putin following Russia’s deadliest attack in two decades.
Gunmen stormed the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow on Friday, killing at least 137 people and injuring 182 – marking the most significant loss of civilian life in Russia since the 2004 Beslan school siege.
Russia has apprehended four individuals, including at least one Tajik national, whom they claim directly carried out the attack. The Islamic State militant group has asserted responsibility for the incident.
Vladimir Vasilyev, the parliamentary leader of the United Russia faction in the lower house of parliament, commented on the issue of the death penalty, stating, “Now many people are asking questions about the death penalty. This topic, of course, will be deeply, professionally, and meaningfully studied,” as reported by the state news agency TASS media on Saturday.
Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally who previously served as Russia’s president and has taken a more assertive stance since Russia’s involvement in Ukraine, addressed the detained suspects on his Telegram channel on Monday. He raised the question, “Do they have to be killed?” and answered affirmatively, stating, “They have to be. And will be.”
However, the Kremlin has clarified that it will not engage in discussions concerning the lifting of the moratorium on the death penalty. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed reporters during a daily briefing, “We are not participating in this discussion at the moment.”
While capital punishment remains legal in Russia, no executions have taken place since 1996 when President Boris Yeltsin issued a decree establishing a moratorium, which was officially confirmed by the Constitutional Court in 1999.
The Russian penal code presently permits the death penalty for five offences: murder, genocide, and attempted murder of a judge, police officer, or state official.
