Russia
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Moratorium on executions
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · In 1996, the then President Boris Yeltsin imposed a...
- News items in the archive
- 461
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Russia is classified as Moratorium on executions in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 461 news items on Russia, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- SEPTEMBER 14, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Russia's ombudsman, Oleg Mironov, criticized the idea...
Russia's ombudsman, Oleg Mironov, criticized the idea to cancel the moratorium on executions saying "It would cause a considerable damage to Russia's international prestige," adding that if such a decision is taken, the country's relations with the Counci
- SEPTEMBER 13, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
The Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov said that it...
The Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov said that it was untimely to abolish the death penalty in Russia
- SEPTEMBER 13, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
People's Deputy leader Gennady Raykov addressed Russian...
People's Deputy leader Gennady Raykov addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request to cancel a moratorium on capital punishment in the country due to "the inexpedience of its observance
- AUGUST 16, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
The Russian Orthodox Church approved of the government's...
The Russian Orthodox Church approved of the government's efforts to abolish capital punishment
- AUGUST 13, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
In Stavropol Territory Russia's law-enforcement authorities...
In Stavropol Territory Russia's law-enforcement authorities have for the first time officially consented to the sending home of foreigners accused of being mercenaries
- AUGUST 9, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
The Kemerovo Region governor Aman Tuleyev addressed...
The Kemerovo Region governor Aman Tuleyev addressed President Vladimir Putin, the Federation Council and the State Duma with a proposal to lift the moratorium on the death penalty for terrorism, murder and drug dealing
- JUNE 27, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
The Chechen Interior Ministry issued a statement which...
The Chechen Interior Ministry issued a statement which noted that hostages in Russian concentration camps were being systematically beaten up with special lead-core truncheons and tortured with electricity, pulling out nails, crushing limbs, and using gas
- JUNE 26, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
The "Jihad in Chechnya" web site said that civilians...
The "Jihad in Chechnya" web site said that civilians from the towns of Shali, Shatoy, Argun and Atmikli were allegedly by taken Russian forces from their houses and have not returned
- JUNE 7, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Because of the spread of AIDS in the Russian, the governor...
Because of the spread of AIDS in the Russian, the governor of the Sverdlovsk region, Eduard Rossel, said there should be a referendum in the region about bringing back the death penalty for those who dealt drugs
- JUNE 7, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Army General Andrei Nikolayev, chairman of the State...
Army General Andrei Nikolayev, chairman of the State Duma lower house of parliament defence committee said that the main authority in Chechnya should be executed by a special envoy of the Russian President in the framework of the direct federal rule
- JUNE 1, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
According to the information available to the Chief...
According to the information available to the Chief of Russia's General Staff Anatoly Kvashnin, Aslan Maskhadov signed a decree ordering to expose the Chechens cooperating with federal authorities
- MAY 25, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Bashkortostan (Russia) Interior Ministry staff arrested...
Bashkortostan (Russia) Interior Ministry staff arrested a Tajik citizen (Akram Yusupov), 36, who had been hiding for over a year from Tajik law-enforcement bodies that had put him on the international wanted list
- MAY 24, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Russian ombudsman Oleg Mironov called on the State...
Russian ombudsman Oleg Mironov called on the State Duma lower house of parliament to ratify Protocol 6 of the European Convention abolishing the death penalty
- MAY 17, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Sergey Lavrov, Russia's representative to the United...
Sergey Lavrov, Russia's representative to the United Nations, expressed concern about the execution of prisoners of war and civilians in Afghanistan
- MAY 14, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Chechen Interior Minister Aydamir Abalayev reported...
Chechen Interior Minister Aydamir Abalayev reported the shooting of 11 hostages in the Russian PAP 5 concentration camp situated in the city of Dzhokhar [Groznyy]
- MAY 12, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Since the fall of the capital Grozny, in February,...
Since the fall of the capital Grozny, in February, the Chechen forces have staged a series of ambushes against Russian units
- MAY 6, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Guerrillas pulled a Chechen village mayor suspect of...
Guerrillas pulled a Chechen village mayor suspect of "collaborate" out of his car and executed him summarily for working with the Russians
- APRIL 29, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
In the village of Tsatsan-yurt Russian took 15 local...
In the village of Tsatsan-yurt Russian took 15 local residents hostage and executed three people for the resistance which the latter offered them
- APRIL 28, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Chechen Interior Minister Aydamir Abalayev said that...
Chechen Interior Minister Aydamir Abalayev said that the number of Chechen citizens who have been taken hostage and are missing exceeds 10,000 people
- APRIL 25, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
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- APRIL 21, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Anatoly Bykov, Russian business tycoon charged with...
Anatoly Bykov, Russian business tycoon charged with money laundering and extortion, was extradited by the Hungarian Justice Minister, Ibolya David to Moscow after Russia guaranteed he would not be facing the death penalty
- APRIL 20, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
According to some reports, 13 people were executed...
According to some reports, 13 people were executed by shooting in Khazhi-aul by Russian forces
- APRIL 11, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
At the UN Commission on Human Rights Portugal's ambassador,...
At the UN Commission on Human Rights Portugal's ambassador, Alvaro Mendonca e Moura, said the EU was especially concerned at reported mass killings, summary executions, violence against women, torture, arbitrary detention and pillage in Chechnya
- APRIL 9, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Chairman of the Presidential Clemency Commission, writer...
Chairman of the Presidential Clemency Commission, writer Anatoly Pristavkin, said he believed that Russia must adopt a law abolishing capital punishment and then eliminate the related articles of the Criminal Code
- APRIL 9, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
International terrorist Palvannozir Khadzhayev a member...
International terrorist Palvannozir Khadzhayev a member of the extremist organization Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan whose goal was to overthrow the country's constitutional order was extradited to Uzbekistan
- APRIL 7, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Aide of the Russian president Sergei Yastrzhembsky...
Aide of the Russian president Sergei Yastrzhembsky gave the press the details of an April 4 telephone conversation between terrorist Khattab and Movladi Udugov, the chief ideologist of Chechen guerrillas who was currently in the United Arab Emirates
- APRIL 6, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe...
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe approved Recommendation 1456 (2000) calling upon the Committee of Ministers to initiate without delay the procedure for suspension of the Russian Federation from its rights of representation in the Counc
- APRIL 6, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
The State Duma committee on legislation approved a...
The State Duma committee on legislation approved a bill on the ratification of Protocol 6 of the European Convention on human rights, which provides for capital punishment to be abolished by law in Russia
- APRIL 5, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,...
Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented at the Commission on Human Rights her report, denouncing evidence of mass murder, executions without trial, and looting in the course of the operation in Chechnya
- APRIL 5, 2000RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Chechen rebels said that nine members of the Russian...
Chechen rebels said that nine members of the Russian special-purpose police (OMON) from Perm were executed after the 72 hours provided to Russia for the exchange of prisoners had passed