The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area Criminal Justice System and the Death Penalty in Belarus”. Representatives of other embassies, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Humanities University and human rights organizations took part in the conference.35 On 9 October 2013, Switzerland launched its Strategy on the Universal Abolition of the Death Penalty for 2013-2016.36 The document underscores the country’s commitment to the complete and universal abolition of the death penalty by 2025, and translates this objective into specific policies and activities. Likewise, the United Kingdom’s Strategy for the Abolition of the Death Penalty for 2010-2015 aims at increasing the number of abolitionist states, reducing the number of executions and at ensuring that universal minimum standards on the application of the death penalty are met.37 The reporting period was also marked by political debates and statements in favour of reinstating capital punishment in a number of abolitionist participating States. In September 2013, a member of the Lithuanian Parliament stated that he had registered amendments to the national Criminal Code that envisage reinstating capital punishment for aggravated murder.38 In May 2014 in Turkey, triggered by public outrage about the brutal murders of children, the deputy leader of the Islamic Saadet Party called for reinstating the death penalty.39 The Turkish prime minister stressed that restoration of capital punishment was not possible due to Turkey’s candidacy for EU membership, but stated that murderers of children should face the harshest alternative punishment: life imprisonment.40 In February 2014 in Ukraine, a legal draft recommending that the death penalty be reinstated for murder, robbery, banditry, assassination and drug trafficking41 was included on the agenda of the parliament. In May 2014, another draft resolution, proposing the imposition of capital punishment for crimes “against national security”, was registered in the 35  Response to the ODIHR questionnaire on the death penalty from the Netherlands, received on 4 September 2014. 36  Response to the ODIHR questionnaire on the death penalty from Switzerland, received on 19 August 2014. 37  Response to the ODIHR questionnaire on the death penalty from the United Kingdom, received on 22 July 2014. 38  “Petras Grazulis suggests to reinstate death penalty”, News Portal News TTS.LT, 29 September 2013, <http://www. visaginas.com/oldie/ru/Kriminal/21249-Pjatras_Grazhulis_predlagaet_vernut_smertnuju_kazn.htm>. 39  “Child murders cause outrage in Turkey”, IOL News, 5 May 2014, <http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/child-murders-cause-outrage-in-turkey-1.1683463#.VACuYfm1a-0>. 40  Ibid. 41  Legal draft of Ukraine #2128 “On Establishing Death Penalty as One of the Types of Punishment”, Official website of Verhovna Rada of Ukraine, 30 January 2013, <http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/zweb2/webproc4_1?pf3511=45589>. 15