European Parliament will debate with the Commission on freedom of expression and homophobia in Lithuania on January 18 at the evening session. The discussion concerns mainly the  recent  proposal for amendments to the  Lithuanian Code of Administrative Offences, but also by extension the law on protection of minors from detrimental information, and the law on

“A Problem, Not A Person”: The Situation of Trans Youth In Lithuania

By Emily Šaras Despite its status as a Member State of the European Union and pressure from the European Commission, Lithuania is actively working to decrease tolerance and equality within its legal administrative code.  It has only been two decades since Lithuania’s establishment of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and Lithuania still struggles

Lithuanian Parliament seeks to eliminate equality from education

At its meetingon 8 December 2010, the Committee of Education, Science and Culture approved the suggestion of Seimas members G. Songaila, V. M. Čigriejienė, R. Kupčinskas, A. Stancikienė and K. Uoka to delete the concept of equal opportunities from the draft Law on the Amendment of the Law on Education, because equal opportunities also include

Today the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) presented its updated report on Homophobia, transphobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in the European Union. The FRA report reveals that in some EU Member States, legislation and practice is increasing the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons,

ICJ urges Lithuanian politicians to reject anti-gay law proposal

On 26 November International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) addressed President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė, Speaker of the Seimas Irena Degutienė, Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs Stasys Šedbaras, Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights Arminas Lydeka, Minister of Justice Remigijus Šimašius and Ombudsperson Aušrinė Burneikienė with a legal analysis on the

On 26 November Amnesty International issued public statement on new homophobic legislation in Lithuania which includes new legislative initiative aiming at the introduction of administrative sanctions for the “promotion of homosexual relations” and the Article 39 of the Law on Provision of Public Information as amended in September 2010.   „Amnesty International is seriously concerned

Lithuanian NGOs slam anti-gay law

Today, Lithuanian human rights activists and the representatives of civil society addressed the Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, Speaker of the Seimas (Parliament) Irena Degutiene, Legal Committee chair Stasys Šedbaras, the Human Rights Committee chair  Arminas Lydeka and the chair of the temporary parliamentary group “For equality” Marija Aušrine Pavilioniene, asking them publicly to express their

Liberals and Democrats call on the Lithuanian authorities to respect LGBT Rights

The ALDE group is calling on the Lithuanian authorities to respect freedom of expression and of assembly and to reject proposals introducing a fine for “public promotion of homosexual relations”, i.e. equality marches for LGBT rights or any public information in favour of LGBT rights. President Verhofstadt has written, together with fellow ALDE MEPs of

Lithuanian parliament seeks to ban gay prides

Lithuania’s parliament on Friday decided to go ahead with legislation imposing fines for the “public promotion of homosexual relations”. The new Article in the Administrative Code is entitled “Public promotion of homosexual relations“ and states that “public promotion of homosexual relations is to be punished by a fine from two thousand to ten thousand litas 

To the attention of Mme Viviane REDING Vice-President of the Commission Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Dear Commissioner, we know you are due to visit Lithuania this week and we would like to raise with you the request to enquiry with the Lithuanian authorities – and express EU firm opposition, shall media releases

Lithuanian parliament protects anti-gay MPs from prosecution

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – The Lithuanian parliament has voted to protect from prosecution two MPs implicated in violence directed towards a gay-pride parade. In June this year, the country’s prosecutor general requested that the parliament strip Kazimieras Uoka of the centre-right Homeland Union and Christian Democrats, Lithuania’s largest political party, and Petras Gražulis, of the

LITHUANIA, Vilnius – New Law on amendment of the Law on Provision of Information come info effect last week on 18th October, 2010. It is stated in the Law that advertising and audiovisual commercial communication must not contain manifestation or promotion of sexual orientation. In Article 2 definitions of “Audiovisual commercial communication” and “Advertising” are