MOSCA, 13 MAR - Non ci sara' piu' in Russia la pena di morte anche se l'uscita dalla moratoria del 1996 viene invocata da alcuni per ''motivi elettorali''. Lo ha detto oggi il presidente Vladimir Putin incontrando al Cremlino un gruppo di giornalisti, riferisce l'agenzia Interfax.

   ''Non ha senso uscire dalla moratoria, tale impostazione puo' solo far crescere il 'rating' politico di alcuni, ma non risolve il problema della criminalita''', ha detto Putin sottolineando che ''alcuni partiti potrebbero usare questo tema per la prossima campagna elettorale''.

   In diverse occasioni il leader russo ha manifestato la sua contrarieta' alla PENA DI MORTE confermando la moratoria sull'esecuzione delle pene capitali introdotta dal suo predecessore Boris Ieltsin nel 1996.

   Ieltsin aveva adottato in quell'occasione una mozione del Consiglio d'Europa. Da allora i tribunali russi possono ancora emettere sentenze di PENA DI MORTE, che pero' vengono tramutate automaticamente nella detenzione a vita.

   Negli ultimi due anni l'uscita dalla moratoria e' stata chiesta da alcuni deputati della Duma che vedono la condanna a morte come un freno alla criminalita'. Di diverso parere e' Putin che promette di mantenere la sospensione della pena capitale fino alla sua eliminazione dal codice penale.

13-MAR-02 

RUSSIA: Putin speaks out against death penalty

The Duma has shown support for the death penalty Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken out strongly against lifting the presidential moratorium on the death penalty.

  While it is still on Russia's statute book, Mr Putin's predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, imposed a moratorium its use in 1996.

 There have been loud calls from the public and parliament for its restoration, to deal with the country's serious crime problem.

 But Mr Putin said that lifting the moratorium on the death penalty in Russia would be "foolish".

 In what was clearly a reprimand to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, he added that such an action would boost "some people's political ratings", but that it would not prevent crime.

 Public opinion

 The issue of the death penalty in Russia is a thorny one, and the president knows he is treading a narrow path.

 Putin wants to protect Russia's membership of the Council of Europe

 Last month, members of the Duma overwhelmingly called for the presidential moratorium to be lifted, saying they were speaking for the majority of the population.

 If opinion polls on the subject are to be believed, the deputies are correct. Russians bemoan the collapse of law and order in their country since the demise of the Soviet Union.

 Perhaps citing the absence of the death penalty as a deterrent is an over-simplification of the matter, but many Russian citizens do draw the conclusion that their country has become more lawless since the death penalty was suspended in August 1996.

 But when Russia signed up for membership of the Council of Europe, it agreed to the council's terms, one of which is that member states do not have the death penalty on their statute books.

 In speaking out again in defence of the moratorium, Mr Putin is showing that, whilst he's aware of domestic public opinion, he also wants Russia to be a member of the wider international community.