"If Russia follows the recommendations the report of the human rights commissioner includes and ratifies the 6th protocol (on the abolition of capital punishment), the monitoring could be lifted," Alvaro Gil-Robles said.
He added that it would be good for Russia to become another member of the death penalty abolition club.
"Russia is the last country in the Council of Europe to be keeping death penalty," the official stressed.
He said that the decision to abolish death penalty was unpopular with the population as a rule. He gave an example of President Francois Mitterand individually deciding to abolish capital punishment, with most of the French opposed.
Russia only imposed moratorium on the death penalty in 1996.
Head of the State Duma's State Security Committee Vladimir Vasilyev has announced today that MPs may consider the motion to lift the moratorium in the case of Nurpashi Kulayev, the only terrorist who survived in the hostage seizure in Beslan.
Three hundred and thirty people, including 186 children, were killed in the hostage seizure in the school of Beslan (North Caucasus) on September 1-3, 2004.
