Working in the State Duma (Parliament) of Russian Federation in the Committee on Public and Religious Organizations I receive letters with different request from different public organizations. Some of them concern the problem of death penalty in Russia. This one, which you can read below, to my mind, particularly is interesting for radicals in Russia and may be others.

President ZORKALTSEV V.

Russian Federation

State Duma

Committee on Public and

Religious Organizations

Antwerp. 28 April, 1995

Your Exelency.

I adress myself to you as a member of Amnesty International, the impartial an apolitical world-wide human rights organisation, which works foe the unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience, for fair trials within a reasonable time for all political prisoners and strives for complete abolition of the death penalty.

It is, most particularly, with regard to our activities concerning the abolition of the dealth penalty that I would like to appeal on your willingness to act within internationally accepted standarts as the death penalty stands for the supreme degradable and unhuman punishment.

Four out of eight sentenced people in the Republic of Komi (Russian Federation - M.Ivanian)were pardoned by Mr.President B.Jeltsin and received a commutation. Tha four other people, namely A.Knyacev, V.Ivashina,S.Polotsky and V.Sakovsev are still on death row and are still awaiting the final verdict.

It is therefor that I appeal to you to support Mr.President Jeltsin's attitude to grand clemency in al cases and to do whatever in your pover to help these commutation to take place.

May I inform you that Mr.Lukin, the Chairman of the State Duma Committee for International Affairs, supports the abolition of the death penalty and informed us last year that he fully supports the work of Amnesty International is doing in this context.

Dear Sir, I am well aware of the immense work I am asking You to do, but I sincerely hope that commutations will take place for A.Knyacev, V.Ivashina< S.Polotsky and V.Sakovsev.

I remain, hoping that my appeal will be successful and I am looking forward to hear from you soon.

Your respectfully,

Victor Mfrtin,

St-Rochusstraat 1

B-2000 Antwerpen

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