The country's parliament voted to back a bill backed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's dominant United Russia party giving three judges the right to rule on cases involving terrorism, hostage-taking, armed insurrection, sabotage and civil disturbances.
The bill will go before Russia's upper house, the Federation Council where approval is expected to be a formality, before it becomes law.
The move came 15 years to the day since the adoption of Russia's first post-Soviet Constitution which reintroduced jury trials abolished by the Bolsheviks in 1917.
Critics said the move raised the spectre of a return to Soviet-style trials controlled solely by judges.
Russia scraps right to jury trial
The 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal that overthrew the country's dictatorship and led to independence for...
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine and Russia have agreed to carry out a large‑scale prisoner exchange...
The Hungarian Parliament held its inaugural session on Saturday, May 9, ushering in a new political...
Frustrated by Iran, Trump at last seizes enriched uraniumDonald Trump has succeeded in removing a country’s...
