On the 23rd of May, the United Nations Committee against Torture, having reviewed the third periodic report of Lithuania, published its preliminary concluding observations. The Committee drew attention to many new problems not touched upon in previous years, which were raised by the Human Rights Monitoring Institute in its alternative report.

According to the Committee's recommendations, Lithuania must ensure that pre-trial detention is only used in exceptional circumstances; that persons sentenced to life imprisonment are given the possibility of parole; and that the new investigation on the participation of Lithuania in CIA rendition and secret detention programs is completed on time and in a transparent manner.

Several Committee recommendations deal directly with the rights of the child. For the first time the Committee expressed concern about the "socialization centers" for minors operating in Lithuania, for even though they are considered to be educational institutions, de facto they are tantamount to administrative detention facilities. The committee noted that placement in the "relaxation rooms" of these centers - rooms without windows, with mattresses strewn on the floor, double beds and bars - amounted to solitary confinement. Lithuania was ordered to review the operation of these centers in order to prevent any violations of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Another Committee recommendation criticizes Lithuania for the fact that its national law still lacks a prohibition against corporal punishment of children in all environments and settings. Lithuania is urged to take steps to combat corporal punishment of children in the home and in day care settings.

The remaining Committee recommendations remind the state of the chronic problems that have not been addressed effectively in recent years. Effective measures to prevent human trafficking have still not been implemented, nor are such cases investigated efficiently - even though six members of a gang that took part in human trafficking were accused to that effect as far back as 2010, the final judgment in that case has yet to be rendered. As usual, Lithuania was urged to establish a national human rights institution, and to guarantee the rights of victims of domestic violence.