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Russia lower house approves bill to cut jury trials in terrorism and treason cases

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The Russian Duma Friday approved by 355-85 a bill that would end jury trials on charges of terrorism and treason. Ostensibly directed against lenient juries, the bill is excepted to be quickly approved in the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament. The measure may have only limited effect given the relative rarity of jury trials in Russian criminal procedure already - in 2006 only about 700 of more than 1.2 million criminal trials in Russia were tried by juries - but it has prompted criticism by opposition parties and rights groups and seems to cut against a recent proposal by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to make Russian courts more transparent. The bill follows a general Russian trend towards increased government power. In July 2007, then-President Vladimir Putin approved tough amendments to Russia's law against extremism. An international panel of jurists reported earlier that year that expanded Russian anti-terrorism laws were leading to human rights abuses. In 2006, Putin signed a bill giving Russian police and military broad authority to tap telephone conversations and control electronic communications in the vicinity of counter-terror operations, shoot down hijacked planes threatening public places or strategic facilities, and deal with the aftermath of terrorist attacks.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on December 13, 2008 (boomark / email).