ON FEBRUARY 4TH, CITIZENS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN HOLDING ACTION FOR EXCLUDING THE DEATH PENALTY FROM UKRAINIAN'S CRIMINAL CODE.

Action "Ukrainian criminal code without death penalty" was organized by Ukrainian Association "Amnesty International", Transnational radical party and "Hands off Cain" - Citizens' and Parliamentarians' League for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide by 2000, and took place in Kyiv, in front of Supreme Rada's (parliament) building, Grushevskogo str., 7, on February 4, 1997 at 10:00 a.m. till 12:00 a.m. It was the first day of the seventh session of Ukrainian parliament.

Participants of the action appealed to peoples' deputies to include into agenda and to discuss during this session the draft of the law "About including changes and adding to the Criminal Code of Ukraina", that provides for abolition of the death penalty and replacing it for the life-long imprisonment.

The draft of the law mentioned above was prepared by Ukrainian MP Mr. Vasyl' KOSTYTS'KY at the beginning of 1996, but still is not considered by Ukrainian parliament.

During the action was organized press-conference (at 4:00 p.m. February 4, in the building of Information Agency UKRINFORM), where justice philosophy doctor, police lieutenant-colonel Mrs. Olga SHEVCHENKO informed about the criminal-legal aspect of usage and scientific-practical expediency of abolition of the death penalty in Ukraina.

In press-conference participated:

-- Vasyl' KOSTYTS'KY, Ukrainian MP, member of Ukrainian delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe;

-- Olga SHEVCHENKO, justice Phd, author of the scientific research "Death penalty. Criminal-Legal and criminogen investigation in Ukraina", police lieutenant-colonel, major teacher of National Academy of Internal Affairs;

-- Dmytro GROISMAN, member of National Committee of Ukrainian Association "Amnesty International;

-- Oleksander KOSTRYTS'KIY, coordinator of Transnational radical party and International League "Hands off Cain" in Ukraina.

During the press-conference were distributed statistic data about using the death penalty in CE countries-members (including Ukraina); decisions of Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, which took place in Strasbourg last week; information about perspective of recognizing the death penalty as non-Constitutional in Ukraina; scientific researches' data on the problem of capital punishment in Ukraina; information about the activity of citizens organizations working in this direction.

This action caused great interest in mass media. The action was attended by about 20 representatives of biggest information agencies, including 5 central TV companies.

Press-conference interested mass media not less. 18 journalists were present at the press-conference.

After the action 2 persons - Olga SHEVCHENKO and Dmytro GROISMAN - have joined Radical party for 1997, and also Olga SHEVCHENKO have joined "Hands off Cain" for 1997.