Tajikistan's lower house of parliament passed a moratorium...

Tajikistan's lower house of parliament passed a moratorium on carrying out the death penalty in the country. "The use, sentencing and carrying out of the death penalty have been stopped," deputy Abdulmanon Khalikov told AFP.
The vote followed President Emomali Rakhmonov's order at the end of April for a moratorium on the death penalty, which was previously applicable for five types of offense.
The measure had to still be approved by the upper house of parliament and signed by Rakhmonov, a procedure which was expected to take two months. In his annual message to the two houses of parliament, Rakhmonov said the moratorium would be introduced to "democratize society."
"Nobody has the right to take the life of any other person," he said.