Article 96. A Murder

 

1. A murder, that is, the illegal deliberate causation of the death of another person, shall be punished by deprivation of freedom for a period from six to fifteen years.

 

2. A murder:

 

a) of two or more persons;

 

b) of a person and his relatives, in relation to the execution by that person of his official activity or the performance of professional or public duty;

 

c) of a person who was in a helpless state, a given convict being aware of that fact, as well as a murder associated with a kidnapping or seizure of a hostage;

 

d) of a woman who was pregnant, a given convict being aware of that fact;

 

e) committed with especial brutality;

 

f) committed by a method dangerous to the lives of many people;

 

g) committed by group of persons, group of persons upon a preliminary collusion or an organised group;

 

h) committed for avaricious or venal motives, as well as for hire or combined with brigandage, extortion or banditism;

 

i) committed for motives of hooliganism;

 

j) committed for the purpose of concealing another crime, or to facilitate its commission, as well as a murder combined with rape or forcible actions of a sexual character;

 

k) for a motive of social, national, racial, or religious hatred, enmity, or vendetta;

 

l) committed for the purpose of the use of the organs or tissues of a victim;

 

m) committed by a person who earlier had committed a murder, except for acts stipulated by Articles 97-100 of the present Code, -

 

shall be punished by deprivation of freedom for a period from ten up to twenty years with the forfeiture of property or without it, or by capital punishment with the forfeiture of property or without it, or by life-time deprivation of freedom with the forfeiture of property or without it.