COUNCIL OF EUROPE. COE HEAD URGES RUSSIA TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY

the secretary-general of the Council of Europe Terry Davis urged Russia to abolish death penalty. In an interview Davis reminded that the abolition of the death penalty was one of the conditions of Russia’s accession to the organization 10 years ago.
Davis stressed that Russia usually complied with its obligations.
He said he had already discussed this issue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The latter said the parliament was discussing the matter but gave no exact date of the voting. Davis said using death penalty meant using methods of terrorists, adding that the Council of Europe would help Russia, which assumes the rotating presidency in the Council of Europe in May 2006, to abolish it as soon as possible.