Capital punishment in Lithuania

Death Penalty laws in Europe

Capital punishment in Lithuania refers to the legal process in which a person is sentenced to death by the state as a punishment for a crime. Lithuania has a complex history with capital punishment, having abolished it in the early 21st century.

History

Capital punishment in Lithuania has undergone significant changes over the centuries. During the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, capital punishment was a common practice for serious crimes. The legal codes of the time, such as the Statutes of Lithuania, included provisions for the death penalty.

Under Soviet rule, Lithuania, like other Soviet republics, implemented capital punishment for a range of offenses, including political crimes. The death penalty was carried out by shooting.

Abolition

Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. Following independence, the country retained the death penalty for certain crimes. However, there was growing pressure from international organizations and human rights groups to abolish capital punishment.

In 1998, Lithuania took a significant step by commuting all death sentences to life imprisonment. The final abolition of the death penalty came in 1998 when the Seimas, Lithuania's parliament, amended the Constitution of Lithuania to prohibit capital punishment. This move aligned Lithuania with the European Union's standards on human rights, as the abolition of the death penalty is a prerequisite for EU membership.

Current Legal Status

Today, capital punishment is prohibited in Lithuania. The country is a signatory to several international treaties that advocate for the abolition of the death penalty, including the European Convention on Human Rights and the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Public Opinion

Public opinion in Lithuania has shifted over the years. While there was initial resistance to the abolition of the death penalty, particularly among those who felt it was necessary for severe crimes, support for the death penalty has decreased over time. This change is attributed to increased awareness of human rights issues and the influence of European norms.

See Also

• Human rights in Lithuania
• Judicial system of Lithuania
• European Convention on Human Rights
• Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• Seimas