by Nikolaj Lashkevich

Izvestija, April 7, 1994, Moscow

In the context of soon ratification by Lithuania the European Convention on Human Rights, in this republic probably the death penalty will be abolished, or the articles of the Criminal Code which provide it in exceptional cases or in a concrete situation (for instance, in case of emergency state) will be determined.

Mr. Algirdas Brazauskas, president of the republic, has formed already the working group, which has to review all the laws, acts, to give concrete recommendations, to prepare the Convention to be ratified in the Seim. In spite of revelry of criminality and powerful campaign against abolishing of death penalty (the leadership of the country including the president almost joins this campaign), Lithuania will be forced either to abolish this measure of punishment at all, or to make it really exceptional. Death penalty does not correspond to international norms and principles of human rights. It also damages very much the democratic image of the republic, which is constructing actively by the authorities. Therefore, most probably, Vilnius will choose the second variant: determination of the "capitally punished articles", trying however to avoid by all the means the executions. During last two years three death sentences were executed in the republic. Nobody was annoyed by this fact in the Lithuanian society. Dif

ferent stratums of the society and different political forces will oppose the possible abolishing of death penalty in Lithuania.