Ukraine Abolishes Death Penalty

Ukraine  -- Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma signed a new Criminal Code that formally abolished the nation's death penalty, putting it in line with most European countries, his office said Monday. The legislation was overwhelmingly approved by parliament last month. Kuchma signed it on Friday and the new code takes effect June 1. Ukraine's previous criminal code allowed the death penalty, but thenew one sets life imprisonment as the maximum form of punishment. People under 18 and older than 65 and women who were pregnant when they committed a crime or during sentencing are not subject to life terms. Ukraine promised to abolish the death penalty when it joined the Council of Europe in 1995, and imposed a moratorium on executions in March 1997. But the government was sharply criticized for itsfailure to fully abolish it. Ukraine's Constitutional Court ruled the death penalty illegal in 1999 and parliament abolished it last summer. Legislators then formalized the step by including it in the new code. About 180 people in Ukraine were executed between 1995 and March 1997.The new code also introduces ``public work'' as a new form of punishment for less serious crimes, with adults subject to up to 240 hours and minors up to 120 hours. Unlike the previous code, it eliminates criminal responsibility for slander and insult, an important step toward greater freedom of speech in the former Soviet republic. It also outlines new crimes including copyright violations and prohibits elected officials from holding a second post or job, a common practice among lawmakers and regional authorities.