MOSCOW, August 18 (RAPSI) – Authorities of the the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) have adopted the Criminal Code which incorporates capital punishment for grave crimes and passed resolution on military tribunals, the press center of the Republic’s government reported Monday.

Acting DPR Prosecutor General Eduard Yakubovsky presented a two-level system of the military tribunals. The lower level would be comprised of field court-martials to try military personnel from privates to company commanders, and the second level would be comprised of military tribunals that would try officers, from battalion commanders and higher.

“We will move to humanize our criminal legislation after the war is over,” said Deputy DPR Prime Minister Alexander Karaman.

First Deputy DPR Prime Minister Vladimir Antyufeyev said that the introduction of capital punishment was the highest measure of social protection, rather than an act of vengeance.

The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic was established in April 2014 in the Donetsk Region by those advocating the federalization of Ukraine and opposing the federal government of the country which came to power in February in the aftermath of an armed coup.