MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stance against the return of the capital punishment remains the same, he said at a meeting of the Civil Society and Human Rights Council on Wednesday.
 
“As for the death penalty, Constitutional Court Chairman Valery Zorkin recently spoke about it at the convention of judges. And he said in response to those who are advocating the reinstatement of the death penalty that in order to do so, the constitution will have to be amended. Therefore, my stance has not changed,” Putin clarified.
 
Zorkin said at that convention that the reintroduction of capital punishment was possible only by amending Russia’s Constitution, but there were currently no such conditions.
 
A moratorium on the death penalty as a form of punishment is currently in effect in Russia. Zorkin added then that Russia’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe does not terminate the moratorium on capital punishment.