A convicted murderer who is dying of diabetes has asked to be put to death rather than to slowly waste away in prison.
The request for euthanasia, which cannot legally be granted in Russia, comes after judges have persistently refused to free the bed-ridden veteran of the Chechen war – even though the law gives courts the discretion to release terminally ill inmates.
A third request for release was thrown out Monday. Gennady Uminsky, who is serving an 18-year sentence for killing two businessmen in an extortion attempt, asked for euthanasia in an open letter last month.
“I am suffering from a severe form of diabetes. I can’t walk without assistance and a pair of crutches. I have a progressing form of dystrophy. Most of my teeth have fallen out. I can’t even chew,” the 43-year-old Uminsk…