Europe must react to escalation of human rights violations in Lithuania

On 26 November 2013, Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) voted to proceed with a consideration of an amendment to the country’s Code of Administrative Offences which aims to limit freedom of association, assembly and expression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people. Seimas members voted to consider this amendment despite the fact that the parliamentary Human Rights Committee suggested its rejection.

The amendment introduces administrative liability for “public denigration of constitutional moral values and of constitutional fundamentals of the family life, as well as organisation of public events contravening public morality”.

It was submitted to Seimas by its member Petras Gražulis in May 2013 in reaction to the Vilnius Baltic Pride 2013. Petras Gražulis is widely known by his openly homophobic and transphobic views and a number of discriminatory legislative initiatives.

Read more at ilga-europe.com and delfi.lt