The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area expiration of the moratorium and to accede to the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.77 On 3 June 1999, the president commuted the sentences of all individuals on death row to either life or 25 years’ imprisonment. Method of execution Shooting78 Statistics Death sentences None Executions None International Safeguards Pregnant women and minors Women and individuals who were below the age of 18 at the time of the crime cannot be sentenced to death.79 Pardon or commutation The Constitution gives the president authority to grant clemency.80 The death penalty can be commuted to life imprisonment or deprivation of liberty for 25 years.81 Clemency commissions in each of the constituent entities consider appeals for clemency and make recommendations to the president.82 All cases concerning individuals sentenced to death are automatically considered regardless of whether the 77  Concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee: Russian Federation, 6 November 2003, U.N. Doc. CCPR/CO/79/RUS, 6 November 2003, para. 11. 78  Article 186 of the Criminal Execution Code. 79  Article 59 (2) of the Criminal Code. This article also stipulates that the death penalty cannot be applied to men who are over the age of 65 at the time when the sentence is pronounced. 80  Article 89 (c) of the Constitution. 81  Article 59 (3) of the Criminal Code. 82  A single Presidential Pardon Commission was replaced by regional commissions in each of the constituent entities by Presidential Decree No. 1500 “On the procedure for consideration of clemency appeals in the Russian Federation”, 28 December 2001. 25