I’ve searched Google and the results are weak to say the least. The only place where I found any sort of cite was Everything2 which I trust less than Wikipedia. Wikipedia had no cites or references to the soon-to-be mentioned topic.
Do the Russians, Soviet and current ones, actually charge the family for the bullet which executes a family member?
An unsourced citation from Terry Gilliam, from the aforementioned Everything2, says adding insult to injury by charging the families of the condemned is a common practice. If it’s true, I’d like to see some reference material. I think it’s just Hollywood propaganda.
I’ve never heard it referenced to the Russians, but I have heard it about the Chinese. In fact, Tom Clancy mentioned the “fact” repeatedly in The Dragon and the Bear. Make of that what you will. Apparently you only get charged if you want to claim the body. Otherwise, the State picks up the tab.
Not quite as extreme, but whenever a prisoner is found guilty at a disciplinary hearing in a NY prison, we charge him an automatic five dollar surcharge to cover the cost of the hearing.
I only heard of that about the Chinese, not the Russians. Besides, the Russians don’t execute anybody anymore (or more exactly don’t execute tried and sentenced criminals anymore).
I read it about the Chinese government in the aftermath of the 1989 Tian An Men massacre, and the trials and subsequent executions of some of those demonstrators who escaped the massacre itself. Newsweek had the story, IIRC, and that’s generally a reliable source.
