Russia
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- semi-presidential federation
- CONSTITUTION
- December 12, 1993
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on civil law
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- bicameral; Federation Council (Soviet Federatsii) and State Duma (Gosudarstvennaya Duma)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; the Federation Council appoints judges for life, on the recommendation of the Head of State
RELIGIONS
15-20% Russian Orthodox; 10-15% Muslims; 2% Christians
From the country
- JUNE 28, 2006RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. MOST RUSSIANS AGAINST ABOLISHMENT OF DEATH PENALTY, SPEAKER
Russia has not formally abolished the death penalty because such a move would not get the support of the majority of the population, the speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament said.
- JUNE 5, 2006RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. COUNCIL OF EUROPE WAITING FOR MOSCOW TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
the Council of Europe is still waiting for Russia to abolish the death penalty, the Council's Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg said.
- MAY 29, 2006RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. LAVROV DENIES BACKTRACKING ON PLEDGE TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied that Russia is backtracking on its commitment to the Council of Europe to abolish capital punishment.
- MAY 29, 2006RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. RUSSIA DETERMINED TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY - GRYZLOV
Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov said Russia will abolish the death penalty sooner or later.
- MAY 26, 2006RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. BESLAN ATTACKER JAILED FOR LIFE
the sole surviving suspect from the Beslan school siege has been found guilty of murder and terrorism at a court in southern Russia.
- MAY 26, 2006RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. CE MEMBERSHIP AT RISK UNLESS DEATH PENALTY ABOLISHED IN 2006
Russia may be stripped of its membership in the Council of Europe if it fails to ratify the sixth protocol on the abolition of the death penalty this year, State Duma International Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachyov told a news conference.
- MAY 19, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. MOSCOW TO SEEK RETURN OF DRUG DEALERS FACING EXECUTION IN CHINA
Russian parliamentarians will make every effort to achieve the return of two Russians arrested for drug dealing in China so they avoid the death penalty, said Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the State Duma's international affairs committee.
- MAY 18, 2006RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. VICTIMS DEMAND HARSH SENTENCE AGAINST BESLAN HOSTAGE-TAKER
relatives of those killed in the Beslan school massacre called for a harsh sentence -- even death -- as the reading out of a guilty verdict against the sole-surviving hostage-taker entered its third day.
- MAY 16, 2006RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. BESLAN REBEL COMMITTED TERRORISM, JUDGE
a Russian judge said the only surviving member of the group that seized a school and 1,300 hostages in the town of Beslan in 2004 had committed an act of terrorism, as he began reading his verdict in the trial.
- MAY 4, 2006RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. CONSTITUTIONAL BAN ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT TO EXPIRE IN 2007
Russia’s Human rights commissioner Vladimir Lukin said life imprisonment should become the maximum punishment in Russia. "Life imprisonment is worse than capital punishment everywhere in the world, and especially in Russian conditions," he said.
- APRIL 29, 2006RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. MP HOPES RUSSIA WILL ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY IN 2006
Pavel Krasheninnikov, chairman of the Russian State Duma's Legislation Committee...
- APRIL 28, 2006RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. FEDERATION COUNCIL MEMBER SUPPORTS DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION
the abolition of death penalty in Russia will help the extradition of criminals and terrorists, who are hiding abroad, Chairman of the Federation Council International Affairs Committee Mikhail Margelov said, referring to prospects for Russia’s ratificati