Principles are all fine as long as it doesn't get personal. I think you can only say that your principles are firm enough only after you've been in a similar situation yourself. That's why I'm not certain how I feel on this subject. I am not advocating death penalty in all sorts of cases. But when the person was found guilty of pre-meditated murder, pleads guilty, and there are absolutely no extenuating circumstances...

Quote Originally Posted by Johanna
1) Brother "A" got killed by violent hooligans in a robbery (the hooligans got caught....) Do you insist on the death penalty for the killer?

but at the same time..

2) Your other brother "B" got involved with some bad people, got drawn into criminality and ended up in a situation were somebody innocent got killed. The relatives of the killed person insists on the death penalty for your brother...
These situations are way too vague, because the degree of involvement of "brother B" and "hooligans" is not clear. What does it mean "got killed"? Does it mean that the robbed person just sort of fell and took a blow to the head which proved fatal while the robbers didn't actually mean to kill? No, such a case doen't seem to warrant death penalty. Or was he beaten to death by a gang or senseless, crazed animals? If my brother actually personally murdered somebody and it wasn't self-defence, then, you know... If he's of age, he must bear the full responsibility for his actions. What does it mean -- "got involved with some bad people"? Doesn't he have a mind of his own? It all depends, you see. I am only "for" letting teenagers escape prison in the case of petty crimes, like, stealing, when nobody was seriously hurt.

What I'm talking about is deliberate, pre-meditated murder. My grandmother was strangled with a rope in her own flat by a would-be tenant. Apparently he was just looking for money. He hasn't been found and never will be found now because many years have passed. I wasn't very close to her, she lives in another city and I've only came to stay with her about 2 times in my life, but even so I don't think that person deserves to live. What if it was my mother?

A 12 year-old girl was killed a few years ago in my district. She was coming from school and her mother saw her entering the hall (подъезд -- don't know what it's called in English They lived in an appartment block). This maniac was waiting for her on a landing. She never came to her flat. Her father found her seconds after bleeding to death. The murderer was seen by a lot of people running out onto the street, covered in blood. He hasn't been found. I don't think he deserves to live either.