Non-discrimination of minorities is one of the weakest points in Lithuania’s human rights record, according to a report on human rights practices in Lithuania for 2015 by the United States Department of State. The United States Department of State reports that the most serious human rights problems are related to aspects of the justice system,

OSCE representatives and hate crime victims visited LGBT* centre

On November 7, 2015 the OSCE representatives together with the hate crime victims gathered in the LGBT* community center. During the meeting, members of the local LGBT* community shared their painful experiences and thus enabled the ESBO officers to comprehend real discriminatory cases in Lithuania. In the meantime, the OSCE will organize trainings for the

Lithuania’s Social Democratic Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius abstained from commenting on the proposal by the MP Petras Gražulis to introduce administrative liability for any public denigration of the “constitutional family values”. However, the Prime Minister of Lithuania insists that „society must conform to the norms of decency“ or otherwise „claim responsibility“. „I really can not

On November 12, 2015 the notorious “anti-gay propaganda” bill was removed from the Lithuanian Parliament’s agenda for the time being. 65 members of the Lithuanian Parliament voted for the proposition to remove the consideration of the draft amendment to the Code of Administrative Violations No. XIP-4490(3), which seeks to introduce administrative liability for any public

On September 17th, 2015, the autumn work agenda of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania was approved and contains a long list of initiatives seeking to limit LGBT* rights. Firstly, there is the infamous amendment to the Law on the Fundamentals of Protection of the Rights of Child of the Republic of Lithuania, prohibiting

Lithuanian Parliament Rejects Civil Partnership Bill

On October 14th, 2015 the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania rejected a bill on registered partnership that had been drafted by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania and proposed to introduce the institution of registered partnership for different-sex couples. 27 members of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania voted in

Survey: 50 % of Lithuanians do not support equal rights for LGB people

On the 1st of October, 2015 the European Commission (EC) published the results of the latest Eurobarometer survey “Discrimination in the EU in 2015”. 27718 respondents from the European Union (EU) (including 1004 respondents from Lithuania) took part in the survey that has been conducted from May 30 to June 8, 2015. Lithuanian respondents indicated

Lithuanian Parliament to Prohibit Joint Adoption by Same-sex Couples

On September 15th, 2015 the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania placed an amendment to the Law on the Fundamentals of Protection of the Rights of Child of the Republic of Lithuania, prohibiting an “adoption of Lithuanian citizens by same-sex couples”, on its agenda for the autumn’s session. The legislative motion was introduced by a

On the 3d of September, 2015 the national LGBT* rights organization LGL received an official letter from the United Nations, International Organizations and Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, informing about Lithuania’s position in the U.N. Security Council meeting on the 24th of August, 2015. In response

On the 27th of August, 2015 the national LGBT* rights organization LGL received a decision by the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor‘s Office terminating a pre-trial investigation on hateful online comments inciting discrimination against homosexual persons. LGL applied to the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor‘s Office on the grounds of the article 170(2) of the Criminal Code of the