“They won’t live long”: Nikas Safronov spoke about the torment of the Crocus terrorists

“The best punishment for “non-humans” is the punishment of time”

The terrorists who shot unarmed people in Crocus are in custody. After their arrest, many began to demand the return of the death penalty. People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Nikas Safronov does not support this idea. The painter told MK about what kind of punishment “non-humans” deserve.

“This cruelty cannot be justified – real fascism, when they enter a concert hall and shoot unarmed people,” says Nikas. – But at the same time, I do not support the call to execute them. We live in a legal country and must adhere to the letter of the law. The death penalty has been abolished in our country. In fact, the simplest thing is to execute them. It’s fast and too easy for terrorists: once – and it’s all over. I am sure that the best punishment is the punishment of time. This painful process of realizing what they did and that after that their life turned into a nightmare. Probably, having realized the horror of what happened, they will not live very long – their conscience will torture them. But it is better that they live longer and suffer.

“A life sentence, in my opinion, is the most suitable punishment for them,” continues Safronov. – Let them sit and suffer. They see no peace. After all, even those people who are serving time for serious crimes will never be able to understand and justify their actions. This wildest cruelty, when they come and shoot innocent people: children, disabled people, ordinary spectators who did nothing wrong either to the terrorists or their loved ones – they just came to relax and listen to their favorite band.

Safronov believes that the terrorists committed such a terrible crime because they lost their foundations. “We live in difficult times: in the countries of the former USSR there are many people who have lost their orientation in this life,” Nikas sighs. – During the times of the Soviet Union, such a crime was impossible in principle. Because no one wanted the other to die, we were all brothers. I believe that education needs to start from school. From an early age, instill in children: “Do not kill, do not wish for the death of another.” I am sure that if in the countries of the former USSR they again begin to tell children that we are fraternal peoples, and not enemies and infidels, such crimes will not happen.