Secretary General of the European Council Walter Schwimmer...

Secretary General of the European Council Walter Schwimmer has expressed concern about statements by some Russian public figures for reinstating the death penalty.
Unfortunately, the State Duma has not ratified the pertinent protocol of the Council of Europe, he said. Moreover, in a recent resolution, the Duma said that a ban on capital punishment is premature.
"This topic should not become a weapon for populist politicians who consider capital punishment a panacea for all misfortunes," Schwimmer said.
All members of the Council of Europe must outlaw the death penalty, he said.