Death penalty politics and symbolic law in Russia

Abstract

Abstract:In contemporary Russia there is widespread support for the death penalty. Recent Russian presidents have endorsed the nation's entry into the European Community (EC). The dilemma is that the price of membership into the EC is total abolition of capital punishment. The Russian Duma is much less popular than the president, even though it sides with public opinion in supporting capital punishment. Since 1997, these conflicting political positions have been temporarily neutralized by leaving capital punishment legislation in place but allowing the Russian president to offer clemency to all sentenced to death. In 1999, the Constitutional Court of Russia placed a moratorium on all death sentences until jury trials are re-introduced throughout the nation.

Framing Death Penalty Politics in Malaysia

“…Framing capital punishment as 'justice' or 'injustice' or as a human rights issue is not only useful for victims' families, human rights activists and the general public but also can be strategically utilised by the state or government. In a case study of death penalty politics in Russia (Semukhina and Galliher 2009), the government was facing difficulties obtaining public support for the abolition of the death penalty. The Russian presidential intention of removing capital punishment was primarily due to European Union (EU) politics and Russia's plan to eventually become a member of the EU (Semukhina and Galliher 2009: 132).…”

Punishment and Symbolic Social Exchange: The Unnecessary Victims of Criminal Justice

“…Their purpose is to symbolically condemn crimes and criminals, and manifest, in a legal form, the aversion to crimes (Zimring, 2001). The symbolism of the death penalty has also been studied (Semukhina and Galliher, 2009). The material effects of capital punishment, as far as society is concerned, are negligible compared to the number of people who are killed in traffic accidents every year.…”

Consideration of reintroduction of the death penalty into criminal legislation

“…Insistiranje SAD-a da nastavi arhaičnu praksu izvršenja smrtne kazne nad maloletnicima predstavlja očigledno nepoštovanje normi međunarodnog prava i globalnog konsenzusa, što zauzvrat podriva čvrstu posvećenost Sjedinjenih Država da unaprede međunarodno priznata načela ljudskih prava širom sveta. 6 Rezultati istraživanja su pomogli da ospore mnoge od navedenih razloga smrtne kazne izlaganjem rasnih predrasuda, pogrešnim presudama, suđenjima i žalbenim troškovima i slabostima u argumentima zasnovanim na odvraćanju. Ovi empirijski uvidi, zajedno sa smenama u religioznom osećanju, doveli su do pada javne podrške smrtnoj kazni u Americi.…”