During its Human Rights meeting of 4-6 June, the Committee of Ministers decided to end its supervision of the execution of the European Court’s judgment in Matiosaitis v. Lithuania, which concerned the legal impossibility for life prisoners to obtain a review of their sentences and the lack of any prospect of release.
In response to this judgment, the authorities established a mechanism through which life prisoners may request a court review of their sentences and a change into fixed-term sentences if they have fulfilled a number of requirements and demonstrated that they are no longer a danger to society. Amendments to criminal legislation were adopted on 21 March and came into force on 3 April. In addition, since September 2015, life prisoners have been included in the same rehabilitation and socialisation system as all other prisoners, in preparation for potential release on parole.
