Lithuania's permanent Ambassador to the Council of...

Lithuania's permanent Ambassador to the Council of Europe, Neris Germanas, submitted the ratification writs of the Protocol No. 13 under the Convention on Human Rights and Protection of Fundamental Freedoms to the organisation's Secretary General Walter Swimmer. The protocol was ratified on 16 October 2003 and foresees the abolishment of the death penalty under all circumstances, including times of war. Lithuania abolished the death penalty from the national Criminal Code in December 1998. In January of 1999, the Baltic country signed Protocol No. 6 to the above convention on the abolition of the death penalty but still reserved the right to apply capital punishment for war crimes. Protocol No. 13 was signed in Vilnius in May 2003.