RUSSIA. SUPPORT FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT DECREASING, POLL

July 5, 2005: the number of supporters of capital punishment in Russia is steady on the descent, a Levada Center opinion poll found in the middle of June, having questioned 1,600 Russian men and women in 128 cities and communities in 46 regions.
According to the poll the number of supporters of capital punishment had reduced by 14 percent since 2002 to 65 percent.
“A quarter of the polled said the current freeze on the death penalty must stay, in contrast to 17 percent three years ago.” the poll said.
The number of those who hesitated had increased to ten percent from 4 percent in 2002.
Death penalty supporters were most frequent amongst males, those over 40, people from small cities with a population of 100,000 to 500,000 and those who backed the Rodina or Communist party in the latest parliamentary elections.
Whilst those least supportive of the death penalty were women, people under 40 years of age, those with higher education and supporters of the United Russia party, the poll said. (Sources: ITAR-TASS World Service, 05/07/2005)