The Framework of Criminal Law

Legislation on Bias-motivated Violence

Bias-motivated Violent Crimes as Specific Offenses	Bias as an Express General Aggravating Factor	Bias as an Aggravating Factor in Specific Common Crimes
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Bias Types Covered by Provisions on Aggravating Circumstances

Race/National Origin/Ethnicity	Religion	Sexual Orientation	Gender	Disability	Other
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The Criminal Code of Lithuania, which entered into force on 1 January 2003, does not provide for racist or other bias motivation of common offenses to be taken into account as a specific aggravating circumstance in sentencing.

In its concluding observations to Lithuania’s Second and Third Periodic Reports to the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the committee recommends that Lithuania “introduce into its criminal law a provision that makes committing an offense with racist motivation or aim an aggravating circumstance allowing for a more severe punishment.”[1]

Bias as an Aggravating Factor in Specific Common Crimes

Article 312 of the Criminal Code punishes the desecration of graves by reason of race, ethnic background, or religion. Article 312 of the Criminal Code punishes the desecration of graves by reason of race, ethnic background, or religion.

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[1] United Nations, “Concluding observations of the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: Lithuania,” Sixty-eighth session, made public on April 11, 2006.