LGL presents Strategic Litigation Process for the Right to Organize the March for Equality Documentation Report

In March 2013 LGL started the implementation of the project Ensuring the effective exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly for LGBT community through strategic litigation and advocacy. Strategic Litigation Process for the Right to Organize the Baltic Pride 2013 March for Equality Documentation Report is one of the results in the course of implementing the project, funded by ILGA- Europe. The report describes the course and results of the litigation process between LGL and the Vilnius City Municipality.

The litigation process aims to ensure equal opportunities and human rights, especially freedom of expression and the right of peaceful assembly for all groups of society. Citizen participation is one of the main pillars of the constitutional state, and it must be respected and protected by existing legislation and cannot exclude minority groups.

The Baltic Pride 2013 March for Equality that took place on 23th July is a huge victory for the Lithuanian LGBT community. According to the Board Chair of the LGL Vladimir Simonko, “the March for Equality ensured the right of all Lithuanian society to march on central Gediminas avenue”.

Vytautas Mizaras (PhD), the attorney of the case, states: “The effective excercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly is a constitutional value of extreme importancebecause this right is directly related to the active participation in public life, and spread of different ideas. The State has a duty not to limit and not to restrict this freedom if it does not have legal grounds and conditions; on the contrary – it has an obligation to assist in implementing this fundamental right.”

The report is available both in Lithuanian and English language.