Special Council of the NKVD
Encyclopedia
Special Council of the USSR NKVD (Особое Совещание при НКВД СССР, ОСО) was created by the same decree of Sovnarkom of July 10, 1934 that introduced the NKVD
itself. By the decree, the Special Council was endowed with the rights to apply punishments "by administrative means
," i.e., without trial. In other words, the term "by administrative means" actually refers to extrajudicial punishment
.
The following types of punishment were put to the disposal of the Special Council by this decree: banishment (высылка) (from the place of residence), exile
(ссылка) (to remote regions), corrective labor camps up to 5 years and deportation
(высылка) from the USSR.
In 1937 during the Great Purge
the Special Council was allowed to sentence to imprisonment up to 8 years. In November 1941 after the beginning of the war with Germany
the Special Council was allowed to sentence to imprisonment up to 25 years or to death
. After the end of the war the Special Council was not allowed to sentence to death, the maximum available punishment was 25 years of imprisonment.
When NKVD was renamed, the Special Council remained within the corresponding organization, e.g., as Special Council of MGB, etc.
It was abolished in September 1953, shortly after the death of Joseph Stalin
.
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
itself. By the decree, the Special Council was endowed with the rights to apply punishments "by administrative means
By administrative means
By administrative means was an expression in use in the Soviet Union applied to the cases when some actions that normally required a court decision were left to the decision of executive bodies .With respect to the imprisonment and deportation of individuals this meant extrajudicial punishment.See...
," i.e., without trial. In other words, the term "by administrative means" actually refers to extrajudicial punishment
Extrajudicial punishment
Extrajudicial punishment is punishment by the state or some other official authority without the permission of a court or legal authority. The existence of extrajudicial punishment is considered proof that some governments will break their own legal code if deemed necessary.-Nature:Extrajudicial...
.
The following types of punishment were put to the disposal of the Special Council by this decree: banishment (высылка) (from the place of residence), exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
(ссылка) (to remote regions), corrective labor camps up to 5 years and deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
(высылка) from the USSR.
In 1937 during the Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
the Special Council was allowed to sentence to imprisonment up to 8 years. In November 1941 after the beginning of the war with Germany
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
the Special Council was allowed to sentence to imprisonment up to 25 years or to death
Capital punishment in Russia
Capital punishment in Russia is currently under question, albeit legally allowed . There exists both an implicit moratorium established by the President and an explicit one, established by the nation's highest court. Russia has not executed anyone since 1996, and the regulations of the Council of...
. After the end of the war the Special Council was not allowed to sentence to death, the maximum available punishment was 25 years of imprisonment.
When NKVD was renamed, the Special Council remained within the corresponding organization, e.g., as Special Council of MGB, etc.
It was abolished in September 1953, shortly after the death of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
.