On 1st Jan 2010.

56% Russians are for the DP, while 25% are against (poll). In previous polls the figures were typically in the 60%'s-70%'s for.

Putin, Medvedev, and the Orthodox Church hierarchy are against, so the moratorium will almost certainly be renewed. Furthermore,there will probably be an unbelievable tsunami of complaints from Europe if it isn't.

My own thinking on DP is that it probably isn't needed in stable, low-crime societies like those of Western Europe, but is highly useful and justifiable in particularly violent and/or corrupt nations like South Africa, Venezuela, Iraq, etc. With a homicide rate of 16 / 100,000 (about 10x the West European and 3x the US rate) and what most commentators consider to be a huge amount of high-level corruption, I believe it is in Russia's interests to ignore West European complaints about the "human rights" of criminals (they knowingly forfeited them through their actions anyway) and re-institute the DP - swift and certain for added deterrent value - for 1st-degree homicide, serial rape, child rape, people trafficking, gross corruption (>1mn $), and serious cases of national treason. Russia will get kicked out of the Council of Europe, but should it care? Let democracy rule.