The US state of Virginia has banned the death penalty – the first such case in the southern United States. The corresponding decree was signed by the governor of the state, writes NPR.
It is noted that the reason for this decision was seen, among other things, in the problems of racism – black criminals are allegedly subject to execution much more often, especially in cases when their victims were whites.
“The death penalty is a direct continuation of the lynching. This is state-sponsored racism, and today we have the opportunity to end it, ”said one of the state legislators, Democrat Jay Jones. Some Republicans have sided with Democratic Party members to ban the death penalty, but mostly the GOP in the state opposed the abolition.
Virginia became the 23rd non-capitalist state in the United States, and the first to be part of the Southern Confederation. It is also known to be the most executed state in American history.
In Russia, the death penalty is allowed by law, but in fact is not applied: since 1997, a moratorium has been in effect on it. In a recent poll by VTsIOM, two percent of Russians said they would lift the moratorium in place of the authorities.
