News

The European Court of Human Rights rules against Lithuania in a freedom of speech case

The European Court of Human Rights has handed down a significant ruling in the case of Macatė v. Lithuania, which concerns the distribution of a children’s book of fairy tales featuring same-sex relationships.  The book’s distribution was halted soon after its publication in 2013 and resumed a year later only after being labelled as potentially …

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VAAT ruling: applying for asylum does not exclude the right to apply for a residence permit

The Vilnius Regional Administrative Court issued a ruling in case No eI2-2374-1066/202, in which it found that there is no legal basis for refusing to accept an application for a residence permit on the basis of a work contract when a person has applied for asylum in Lithuania. The applicant in the case came to …

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Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT) publishes report on its 2021 visit to Lithuania

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published a report on its December 2021 periodic visit to Lithuania, together with the response of the Lithuanian authorities. During the visit, the Committee visited local police headquarters; arrest houses in Vilnius and Kaunas; prisons in Marijampolė, Pravieniškės, …

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Governments continue weakening democracy in 2022, EU-wide annual rule of law report by 45 civil liberties groups finds

Berlin-Brussels-Vilnius Most EU countries made little effort to resolve documented rule of law issues, allowed existing shortcomings to go unaddressed, or even made things worse in all areas assessed, ‘Liberties Rule of Law Report 2023’ finds. Exceeding the scope of the European Commission’s annual rule of law audit, Liberties’ (a watchdog CSO that safeguards the …

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Seimas Ombudsperson’s Office is asked to investigate the circumstances of the deportation of Nigerian asylum seekers who filed subsequent asylum requests

The Seimas Ombudsperson’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania has received a complaint from Nigerian citizens regarding the actions of state authorities that may have violated the applicants’ for international protection right to an effective examination of their application for international protection, the right not to be returned to their country of origin, the right …

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Petition to ECtHR filed on lack of access to asylum procedures and violation of the principle of non-refoulement

In November 2022, a petition has been submitted on behalf of Syrian applicants to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) regarding lack of access to asylum procedures in Lithuania as well as violation of the principle of non-refoulement. The applicants fled Syria because of a real threat caused to them and their close relatives …

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The latest HRMI’s report on human rights in Lithuania: pandemic, migrant crisis, stalling civil partnership law, criminalization of stalking and other highlights from 2020-2021

The 12th Human Rights Monitoring Institute’s biennial report on human rights, produced in partnership with various human rights experts, covers key developments in the areas of freedom of expression, assembly and religion, discrimination, violence against women, rights of LGBTQI+ community, rights of people with disabilities, rights of convicted persons, human trafficking victims, rights of migrants …

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Lithuanian Seimas Ombudsperson’s Office Issues Report on Implementation of the Rights and Liberties of Foreigners in the Medininkai Foreigner Registration Center

On 7 July 2022, the Lithuanian Seimas Ombudsperson’s Office released a report on implementation of the rights and liberties of people held in the Medininkai Foreigners’ Registration Center (Medininkai FRC). Medininkai FRC houses some of the irregular migrants and asylum seekers who crossed the Lithuanian-Belarusian border in 2021 and were de facto detained.    Prolonged …

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Call for participants: International youth event “Active Youth against Hate Speech” in Vilnius

International interactive youth event “Active Youth against Hate Speech” 9 June, 2022, Vilnius, Lithuania   Human Rights Monitoring Institute in cooperation with partners across Europe is inviting active young people, aged 16-30, to participate in an interactive international event. A workshop “Active Youth against Hate Speech” will be held on 9 June in Vilnius, at …

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International interactive event “Active Youth Against Hate Speech” coming to Kaunas

International interactive youth event “Active Youth against Hate Speech” 30 May, Kaunas, Lithuania   Human Rights Monitoring Institute in cooperation with partners across Europe is inviting active young people, aged 16-30, to participate in an interactive international event. A workshop “Active Youth against Hate Speech” will be held on 30 May, 2022 in Kaunas, at …

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