Russia scraps right to jury trial in "terrorism" cases

This (ie, due process, habeas corpus, and right to a trial by jury), along with gun ownership, are probably the top two rights of the people in any free society -- because they are last defenses against government tyranny. When the government starts intruding in these areas, alarm bells should start ringing, because full-blown tyranny is not far away. TelegraphRussia scraps right to jury trialRussia has scrapped the right to trial by jury for people accused of organising violent crime, terrorism and civil unrest. By Nick Holdsworth in Moscow 12 Dec 2008The country's parliament voted to back a bill backed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's dominant United Russia party giving three judges the right to rule on cases involving terrorism, hostage-taking, armed insurrection, sabotage and civil disturbances.The bill will go before Russia's upper house, the Federation Council where approval is expected to be a formality, before it becomes law.The move came 15 years to the day since the adoption of Russia's first post-Soviet Constitution which reintroduced jury trials abolished by the Bolsheviks in 1917.Critics said the move raised the spectre of a return to Soviet-style trials controlled solely by judges.The Soviet court system was notoriously vulnerable to pressures from above and sentences were often dictated via a telephone call from the KGB secret service or Communist party.Vladimir Vasilyev, who proposed the bill, told parliament: "We want to be sympathetic people, moving towards democracy but I don't want to see terrorists going free."Supporters of the bill said the switch was necessary because some courts in the southern Russia " where unrest and anti-government insurgency has spilt over since the Chechen conflict" were acquitting or being too lenient towards groups suspected of being involved in organised crime.Violence has been spreading across the region, including a bomb attack and most recently the assassination two weeks ago Vitaly Karayev, mayor of Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia, as he left for work.But critics said the move would increase the risk of unfair trials.Yelena Mizullina, a member of left of centre Fair Russia party, said: "This law is unconstitutional. This bill does not protect the rights of citizens."[...]