STRASBOURG, October 3 - RAPSI. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) members adopted a resolution by a majority vote to continue the monitoring of Russia's execution of its commitments to the organization.

The resolution says that Russia has failed to abolish capital punishment de jure and has not implemented earlier PACE resolutions on the "Russian-Georgian war," particularly the request to reverse the diplomatic recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

On the night of August 8, 2008 Georgian troops attacked South Ossetia and destroyed part of its capital, Tskhinvali. Russia moved its troops into the republic in order to defend many of its residents who had Russian citizenship. Five days later, Russia forced Georgian troops out of the country.

Tbilisi reacted to the Russian recognition of South Ossetian and Abkhazian independence by severing diplomatic relations with Russia, charging that the latter was occupying its sovereign territory.

The PACE resolution also urges Russia to reconsider the sentence handed down to the Pussy Riot punk rock collective members, who were convicted on charges of hooliganism after performing a "punk prayer" in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral.

The parliamentarians added a provision to the initial section on Pussy Riot that the group members should be released without delay.

Upon joining the Council of Europe in 1996, Russia assumed a number of commitments. One of these was to abolish capital punishment. In the late 1990s Russia adopted a moratorium on the death penalty. However, PACE later requested its de jure abolition.

The PACE resolution also emphasizes that Moscow has failed to investigate in full the abuse of human rights in North Caucasus, and has not withdrawn its troops from Moldova.

During the vote on amendments to the resolution, the deputies removed a statement urging Gazprom to stop exerting political and economic pressure on Central and Eastern Europe by way of the cost of natural gas.

The European Commission has opened an investigation into Gazprom's alleged breach of EU antitrust legislation, the commission reported earlier. Experts believe that the European Commission is trying to control the market and hoping to make Gazprom shift from contract gas to spot gas supply. Gazprom believes that these new claims have been raised because it is the main supplier of pipeline gas to Europe.

The deputies have also supplemented the resolution with a provision on the continuing infringement on the LGBT community's rights. For example, a law stipulating fines for gay propaganda among minors was enacted in St. Petersburg on March 30. Any individual who violates the law can be fined for an administrative offense.

The resolution also contains a clause on depriving A Just Russia party member Gennady Gudkov of his political power.

The State Duma stripped A Just Russia party member Gennady Gudkov of his seat in parliament after the investigative authorities accused him of engaging in business activities. According to Russian legislation, lawmakers are not permitted to be involved in business.

PACE has called on the State Duma to revoke its decision and establish a proper procedure for implementing legal standards in line with democratic requirements.