On this day, 75 years ago, on January 12, 1950 (November 24, 1949, the Soviet Union restored the death penalty, which had been abolished after the war, for crimes of espionage, treason and subversion of the government. January 12, 1950 The Soviet Union restored the death penalty, which had been abolished after the war, for crimes of espionage, treason and subversion of the government.