Valdovo išdavystės samprata Lietuvos Didžiojoje Kunigaikštystėje XIII a. pabaigoje – XVI a. viduryje

The thesis analyzes the treason of Grand Duke of Lithuanian as a political crime. It reconstructs the history of treason in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) from 13th till the middle of 16th century and reveals the daily and exceptional phenomena of legal culture with regard to this crime. Analyzing how the concept of treason developed in GDL the local (used in the GDL) terminology associated with treason is discussed. In order to capture the circumstances in which the crime of treason emerged, the thesis presents an analysis of the phenomenon of deserting the country, as well as internal and external factors that led to the emergence crime of treason. The legal definition of the concept of treason is studied in two ways. First, analysis of the concept up to the First Statute of Lithuania (FSL) is presented. Second, the sources of norms for treason defined by the FSL are revealed. The second part of the thesis presents the daily and exceptional phenomena of the crime of treason: accusations of treason as a mechanism for political control, court proceedings for those on trial for treason, the ritual of execution and the process of exculpation and rehabilitation