The Council of Europe urged Russia to finally ban the...

The Council of Europe urged Russia to finally ban the death penalty. The council's first secretary-general, Maud Buer-Bukikkio, met in Moscow with Justice Minister Yurii Chaika and called on Russia to ratify the convention on the ban of capital punishment. For his part, Chaika said that he personally opposed the death penalty and that his opposition was based on the fact that he "worked as an investigator and knows what crime is." He said his ministry will urge the Duma formally to end capital punishment, but warned that in the run-up to next year's legislative elections some candidates would use the issue as "a trump card."